Homeownership: Empowering New Buyers

Idaho Housing and Finance Association:
Innovation That Helps Idaho Heroes Save

During the COVID-19 pandemic, essential workers stepped up to take care of us. To express our appreciation, Idaho Housing and Finance and its partners teamed up to take care of them, launching the Idaho Heroes Loan, which provides an attainable, affordable path to homeownership for our essential workers. Best of all, we were able to provide these below-market-rate mortgages without using tax dollars.

Illinois Housing Development Authority:
IHDA Mortgage SmartBuy

In 2020, IHDA realized that while helping a record number of Illinoisans achieve the American Dream, a segment of the population was unable to buy a home due to debts incurred advancing their education. Furthering the state’s goals to serve historically underserved communities, IHDA developed SmartBuy to increase generational wealth and homeownership accessibility for those burdened with student loan debt.

New York State Homes and Community Renewal:
Give Us Credit: An Innovative and Replicable Program to Close the Housing Wealth Gap

To combat chronic lending discrimination in underserved communities, NYS Homes and Community Renewal’s State of NY Mortgage Agency launched “Give Us Credit” in 2020; a pilot program to consider non-traditional measures of credit history and credit worthiness to enable more borrowers to qualify for mortgages. In 2021 the program was expanded statewide. The reforms address historic and racist disadvantages embedded in traditional credit reporting.

Rhode Island Housing:
Homebuyer Education in a COVID World

A cross-divisional effort to prepare homebuyers for homeownership and support the homebuying market, resulted in the creation of an innovative and compelling "life-of-loan" Homebuyer Education program that works in our current social distancing environment and beyond. Automated processes, engaging content and rich analytics allow us to be nimble and responsive in providing programming that is relevant and convenient for buyers and positions our agency as a trusted and valuable resource.

South Carolina State Housing Finance and Development Authority:
2020 Palmetto Heroes Program

The cost of homes in South Carolina is rising at a startling rate and South Carolina Housing’s Palmetto Heroes program helps those who help us on a daily basis. The program provides low, fixed-rate loans and down payment assistance to help these Heroes find an opportunity to purchase their first home in the communities they work in and recognizes their contribution to society.

Virginia Housing:
Empowering Multicultural Homebuyers

Virginia Housing is empowering new multicultural homebuyers to address the wealth and homeownership gaps across the Commonwealth. Partner outreach and marketing initiatives communicate our educational resources and dispel the myths/barriers to homeownership. Initial results are strong and deliver on our strategic goal to create Diversity, Equity and Inclusion-aligned programs. Empowering new, qualified and knowledgeable homebuyers, will in turn, create stable and thriving Virginia communities.

Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority:
Easy Close Helps More Wisconsinites Become Homeowners

For many prospective home buyers, the lack of savings for a down payment is a major barrier to purchasing their first home. WHEDA's expanded Easy Close down payment assistance loan helps more Wisconsin residents achieve the dream of homeownership.