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For many Houstonians, owning a home is a dream – one that is often out of reach. Incomes in Houston have not risen as quickly as home prices, which means fewer people can afford to buy homes. In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, many families had to delay their plans to find a home or start all over.
Life plans shouldn’t be put on hold because of the weather. Harvey Homebuyer Assistance Program provides up to $30,000 in assistance to families who were in Houston at the time of Hurricane Harvey, who are either buying a first home or replacing a Harvey-damaged home.
How it Works
Once you complete all the starting steps on our Get Started page, you will be able to apply for assistance to pay for a home of your choice. The property must be located within the incorporated areas of the City of Houston and meet safety and quality standards. All homebuyers must submit a pre-approval letter for a mortgage from a bank or lender as well as their certificate of completion of an 8-hour approved homebuyer education course.
When we receive your application, our eligibility team checks everything. If you are eligible, you will receive a “conditional reservation” letter. When you receive this document, you can put your future home under contract. The City will need documents from your lenders and will complete an inspection of the home. If there are no problems, assistance will be provided to you on the day of home closing.
Our assistance is a no-interest, forgivable loan secured by a lien. The loan is fulfilled if the buyer lives in the home for 5 years. If the buyer sells or moves out of the home before 5 years is up, they must pay back the City for a portion of the original loan amount. Assistance can be used towards down payments, principal buydown, or closing costs.
Resources
| Document Name | Updated |
|---|---|
| Application | August 15th, 2019 |
| Document Checklist Draft | November 2019 |
| Tip Sheet Draft | October 30th, 2019 |
| List of Realtors | 2017 |
| Tax Jurisdiction of the City of Houston Map | |
| Notice to Sellers | September 2019 |
| HUD Inspection Form | |
| Property & Lender Document Submittal Guide | July 2nd, 2019 |
| Property Data Sheet 2019 | July 1st, 2019 |
| Sample Preliminary Closing Disclosure with City Funds | April 2013 |
| Loan Disclosure Form | |
| Form 1010 Notarized | August 2019 |
| Program Guidelines | November 7th, 2018 |
| Payoff Statement Request | November 1, 2019 |
| Release of Lien Request | November 1, 2019 |
| Subordination Agreement Request | May, 2017 |