In desperation a homeowner raised capital (5)
I believe the answer is:
hanoi
'capital' is the definition.
(Hanoi is an example)
'in desperation a homeowner raised' is the wordplay.
'in' says the answer is hidden in the clue.
'raised' is a reversal indicator.
'ionah' can be found hidden inside 'desperation a homeowner'.
'ionah' back-to-front is 'HANOI'.
(Other definitions for hanoi that I've seen before include "Asian capital on the Red River" , "Asian city" , "Capital city of Vietnam" , "capital out East" , "foreign city" .)