The Homeownership Assistance Program provides down payment and closing costs assistance to first time and first generation homebuyers for the purchase of a home, to be used as the primary residence, within 16 counties Most Impacted and Distressed by Hurricanes Matthew and Florence.
The objective of the program is to:
- Increase homeownership to support long-term resilience and economic viability of communities impacted by Hurricanes Matthew and Florence.
- Incentivize home-ready renters to become first time homebuyers and reside in storm-impacted communities to reduce negative economic consequences to those communities.
- Improve homeownership opportunities for Low- and Medium-Income households
Program Requirements:
- Be a first-time homebuyer or cannot have owned a home within the last three (3) years, or a first-generation homebuyer whose parents do not currently own a home (Code of Federal Regulations 24 CFR 572.5).
- Must have a pre-approval from a mortgage lender to begin the buying process.
- Total household income cannot exceed 120% of the area median income (AMI) for the County of Purchase as published annually by HUD for the HOME program. Current AMI limits can be found here.
- All purchases must be an Arm’s Length Transaction defined as “a transaction between unrelated parties who are each acting in their own best interest.”
- Must purchase a home in one of the sixteen eligible counties defined by HUD as Most Impacted and Distressed by Hurricanes Mathew and Florence. See table below for Eligible counties:
| Eligible Counties for the Homeownership Assistance Program | |||
| Bladen | Craven | Jones | Pender |
| Brunswick | Cumberland | New Hanover | Robeson |
| Cartaret | Duplin | Onslow | Scotland |
| Columbus | Edgecombe | Pamlico | Wayne |
- Must complete free Pre-purchase Homebuyer Education content provided by the program and meet with a HUD-certified housing counselor. A Homebuyer Education certificate will be provided upon completion.
- At least one member of the household must be a United States Citizen.
- Liquid Assets are limited to $30,000.00. Proof of loans for cash on hand can be considered for verification.
- Only fixed rate mortgages are allowed. Adjustable-rate mortgages are not allowed. No owner financing will be allowed.
- Applicants must remain in the property for 3 years and the grant amount will be forgiven; if applicants leave the property within 3 years they will be required to pay back all assistance funds.
HAP Interest Form
Please complete the interest form below to be screened for the Homeownership Assistance Program. You will be contacted to complete the full application once your information is reviewed. If you are not yet ready to apply for the program, but would still like information and updates on the Homeownership Assistance Program, please fill out the interest form.
Please send all program and application questions to HAP@nchousing.org.
