June is National Homeownership Month! It celebrates the value that owning a home brings to families, communities, and neighborhoods across America. It helps spread the joys of being a homeowner and encourages others to achieve the same thing. Did you know that most Americans had no way of owning a home in the 1800s? Mortgages became common after the U.S. banking system came into being as a result of the 1860s National Bank Acts.