Housing Choice Vouchers:
Home Ownership Program

Enacted in the year 2000, the Housing Choice Voucher Home Ownership Program provides assistance to eligible families interested in purchasing a dwelling unit to be occupied by the tenant family.

FAMILY ELIGIBILITY

• Must be eligible for Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) assistance by meeting all of the general requirements for admission to the HCV Program;
• Must be a “first-time” home buyer (i.e., family may not include any person who has had an “ownership interest” in a residence in the last three (3) years; neither the head-of-household nor spouse has defaulted on a mortgage obtained through the Home Ownership Program);
• Must have a household income of no less than what is equal to 2000 hours of annual, full-time (not less than 30 hours per week) employment of the Federal minimum wage;
• Must have an adult member currently employed on a full-time basis and who has been continuously employed for at least one year prior to the commencement of home ownership assistance (NOTE: This requirement is not applicable to “elderly” or “disabled” families);
• Must complete a pre-assistance home ownership counseling program established by CHA or a HUD-approved counseling agency;
• Must be able to pay a minimum of a three (3) percent down payment, with a minimum of one (1) percent coming from the family’s own resources.

UNIT ELIGIBILITY

• Existing housing only;
• Must be located within CHA’s jurisdiction (unless the family qualifies for portability);
• Must be able to pass an initial Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspection by CHA;
• Must be inspected by a professional, independent, inspector (at the family’s expense).

The amount of home ownership assistance will be calculated using a modified Voucher Payment Standard approach. Housing Choice Voucher Home Ownership assistance may be paid for a period of up to fifteen (15) years for mortgages of twenty (20) years or longer and up to ten (10) years for mortgages of less than twenty years. (NOTE: These limitations do not apply to “elderly” or “disabled” families)

Go to Home Ownership FAQs page