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Homeownership Program
The Homeownership Program offers:
•Free
homebuyer education housing counseling
•Below market interest
rate financing
•Down payment and closing cost assistance to low
and moderate-income first-time homebuyers.
The program is
only available for homes purchased in Adams County. We also have
funding available for the City of Westminster. This includes parts
of Jefferson County.
Free homebuyer educational classes are open to anyone interested in learning about the home buying
process regardless of income. The class provides important
information to better understand the home buying
process.
Each participant in the Homeownership Program must
attend the class. Topics include the following:
• Budgeting
and Money Management
• What to look for when buying a home
•
Selecting a realtor
• The mortgage lending process
•
Responsibilities of homeownership
Classes are offered twice a
month on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month. For more
information, call the workshop hotline at (303) 227-2089. The
information hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a
week.
What services are offered in the Homeownership
Program?
Housing counseling, below market interest rate
financing, down payment and closing cost assistance are provided to
eligible first-time homebuyers.
What is Housing Counseling for Home Ownership?
Housing Counseling will include your attendance in the 'Home Ownership Options for the 21st Century Class" where we assist you to, "Blast Off" through the "Stages" of Home Ownership and "Countdown" to "Lift-Off." We will also provide one on one sessions tailored to fit your individual needs. This could include credit issues, money management and budgeting as well as debt to income ratios used to qualify you for your first home. We do not have a time limit and will work with you based on "your" time table to meet your Home Ownership needs and will provide many options from which you may choose.
Who provides the Below Market Interest Rate Financing?
Below market interest rate financing is offered by all of ACHA's approved lenders. To obtain our down payment and closing cost assistance you must utilize financing from one of ACHA's approved lenders* You may still benefit from our free homebuyer education class.
What is Down Payment and
Closing Cost Assistance? Brochure
The down payment and closing
cost assistance is set up as a loan and is considered a second
mortgage with no monthly payment required. The loan is repaid at the
time the home is sold, ownership is transferred, the first mortgage
is paid in full or the purchaser no longer uses the home as their
primary residence. A percentage of the loan is forgiven each year
the homebuyer occupies the home with no accrued interest. After a
specified term, the loan is completely forgiven. Buy-down points,
inspection fees, advanced appraisal or credit fees are not included
in the assistance.
*LENDERS - To become an ACHA approved lender and to receive a Lender Packet, please contact the HOP Administrator at 303-227-2013.
Who is eligible for the down payment
and closing cost assistance?
The program assistance is
available for first-time homebuyers who earn 80% or less of the Area
Median Income (AMI). The homebuyer must qualify for the fixed-rate
mortgage according to our approved lenders' guidelines.
The
income guidelines are adjusted annually and are as follows:
|
Family
Size
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
|
Maximum
Annual
Income
$40,150
$45,900
$51,600
$57,350
$61,950
$66,550
$71,150
$75,700
|
The
income guidelines can change without notice; for exact information
regarding program income guidelines and for more information
regarding the workshops, call 303-227-2089.
For additional
information, contact us at Homeownership@achaco.com
Housing Counseling Services
ACHA’s Housing Counseling program offers
a full range of services, advice and information to individuals and
families to assist them in improving their housing conditions and in
meeting their responsibilities of tenancy and
homeownership.
Pre-purchase counseling is available for
first-time homebuyers, and delinquency and default counseling to
homeowners and renters.
Counseling is provided at no cost to
the client.
What is involved in housing
Counseling? Brochure
The professionally trained counselors design
a case management plan based on the information received and the
problem at hand. Options are presented to the client; however, at no
time does the Housing Counselor decide what options the client
should access. This decision can be made only by the
homeowner/renter.
As the counselors work with the clients and
begin to identify the needs and design a case management plan, other
programs in the agency are often utilized. Housing Counselors are
knowledgeable in all of ACHA’s programs and are able to provide
information or referral for each client to any of the agency’s
programs or services
Areas of counseling include the
following:
Foreclosure
Prevention— Provides counseling and responsibilities of a
mortgage loan, budgeting, debt/money management, case management to
establishing a reasonable plan for unexpected financial emergencies,
property maintenance and the pursuit of all avenues to preclude a
foreclosure.
Mortgage Default— Provides mediation
assistance, negotiating skills, assistance with refinancing education, relief options for all types
of mortgage; FHA, VA, Conventional, Non-Conventional, assistance with
relief for FHA loans options as outlined in the HUD Handbook 4330.1 Rev-5 and
Mortgagee Letters.
Homeownership/Pre-Purchase— Provides
counseling, educational workshops and guidance to homebuyers to
facilitate the purchase process. Assist with down payment and
closing costs enabling low to moderate-income households to purchase
homes.
Foreclosure
Workshops - Offered the first and third Wednesday's of the month. Class meets in the basement of the Human Services Building at 7190 Colorado Boulevard, Commerce City. The workshop begins at 9:30am and lasts about 1-2 hours. To sign up for the free workshop, please call the main line at 303-227-2075.
Pre-Rental Open Market— Provides counseling on affordable housing options, security
deposits, location, lease and rental agreements and tenant/landlord
responsibilities.
Rent Delinquency— Provides financial
assistance though grant or loan, mediation assistance, money/debt
management, and counseling and on-going case management
services.
Home Equity Conversion Mortgage— Provides
counseling and certification for clients 62 years old and older
prior to obtaining a reverse mortgage.
Home
Improvement/Rehabilitation—Provides counseling on 203k
Rehabilitation Home Mortgage Insurance, Title I home improvement
loan program, loan and grant application process, housing codes and
enforcement procedures, bids and contracts, inspection of work and
payments to contractors, liabilities to subcontractors and
non-performance by contractor.
Displacement and
Relocation—Provides counseling on rights of owners faced with
displacement, rights and responsibilities of the entity causing the
displacement, relocation benefits and location alternate
housing.
Pre-Foreclosure Sale Program—Provides
counseling and required certification for mortgage with FHA
mortgages that have limited options to pending
foreclosure.
Money Management— Provides counseling and
review of the client’s income and expenses, determination of how the
client spends money, creating a budget, review of interest rates,
use and cost of credit, shopping for a loan, effect of property
taxes and mortgage interest, homeowner’s insurance, down payments
and rent escrow and bankruptcy.
Debt Management— Provides counseling and negotiating realistic payment plans with
mortgagor/landlords that are within the client’s budget while
satisfying the obligation in a reasonable time.
For
additional Information contact us at Housingcounseling@achaco.com
Financial Assistance
Programs—
Rent/Mortgage/Utility Assistance
ACHA provides financial assistance for
rent/mortgage and/or utility assistance for county residents. Each
household who receives assistance is provided with counseling
through ACHA’s Housing Counseling department.
Who is
eligible?
Applicants for the assistance programs are
interviewed to determine their needs and the reason(s) for default,
including an identification of barriers that would prevent them from
meeting future obligations. The counselor assists the client in
preparing their budget, makes recommendations and referrals on an as
needed basis and advocates on the client’s behalf with their
landlord or mortgage company or with the public utility
company.
What if I am not eligible?
All
applicants are seen on a first come, first served basis. Applicants
not eligible for funding programs are referred to other
agencies.
What services are
available?
Rent/Mortgage Assistance
Guidelines
General rent/mortgage assistance program
eligibility requires that the applicant be at risk of becoming
homeless due to delinquency on their rent or mortgage payment
through no fault of their own and must have exhausted all other
available resources.
The applicant must provide documentation
to substantiate a reduction in income or an increase in expenses
causing the delinquency.
The applicant must be a resident of
Adams County and have lived in the unit a minimum of 6 months and
responsible for the rent/mortgage of the housing unit where the
assistance is to be paid.
The applicant must have a current
source of income and have a reasonable plan and budget in place to
show an ability to meet future obligations.
Utility
Assistance Guidelines
General utility assistance
eligibility criteria requires that the applicant be in default 30
days or have received a disconnect or shut-off notice because of
circumstances or problems beyond their control.
The applicant
must provide documentation to substantiate the circumstances or
problems causing the default in payment.
The applicant must
be a resident of Adams County and have lived in the unit a minimum
of 6 months and responsible for the rent/mortgage where the utility
assistance is to be paid.
The assistance cannot be provided
only to delay an imminent shut-off.
The applicant must have a
current source of income and have a reasonable plan and budget in
place to show an ability to meet future obligations.
How
is this program funded?
The assistance is funded through
several grants and/or foundations awards each year. The amount
available each year is dependent on the grant awards
received
What are the current funding sources for this
program?
Current funding sources include the
following:
•Energy Outreach Colorado (EOC) –
Utility Assistance
•Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) –
Rental/Mortgage Assistance
•Emergency Food & Shelter Program
(EFSP) – Rental/Mortgage Assistance
•Colorado Tax Check Off -HPAP –
Rental/Mortgage Assistance
•Temporary Assistance to Needy
Families (TANF) – Rental/Mortgage Assistance
Each funding
program has specific eligibility that may slightly differ from the
general guidelines described above. For more information on the
specific funding eligibility and the application procedures, please
contact the main office at 303-227-2075 or email FAP@achaco.com
Section
8 Housing Choice Voucher Program
NEW: Utility Schedule Allowance
Click here for information for Section 8 Landlords.
Section 8 offers rental assistance to persons with low-income who wish to live in homes in the private market, but cannot afford market rental rates.
History of Section 8 tenant based Rental Assistance Program
The 1974 Housing Act authorized the Section 8 Tenant Based Rental Assistance Program. It is a federally regulated and funded program through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that assists people in paying their rent and utilities. It offers rental assistance to persons with low-income who wish to live in homes in the private market, but cannot afford market rental rates. The objective of the program is to provide affordable, decent, safe and sanitary housing for eligible households while increasing their residential mobility and choice.
Who is eligible?
Each family must have annual income below the following income limits in order to qualify for assistance. (The information regarding income guidelines can change without notice, thus exact information about the application eligibility should be obtained by calling the Authority at 303-227-2075):
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Family
Size
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8 |
Maximum
Income
$25,100
$28,650
$32,250
$35,850
$38,700
$41,550
$44,400
$47,300
|
How
many families are served by this program?
ACHA has
current contracts with HUD to subsidize 1,345 families. ACHA seeks
additional funding for the residents of Adams County on an on-going
basis. As families become economically self-sufficient and go off
the program, or when additional funding becomes available, applicant
names are pulled from the Wait List and are offered a Housing Choice
Voucher.
Wait list information
Applications for
the Section 8 Wait List are available only when the wait list is
open. Generally the Wait List reopens annually.
**Please note
that the Section 8 Waiting List was closed effective May 2006.
Notice will be posted here and will appear in the legal section of a
newspaper of general circulation when the Waiting List is
reopened.
What happens once I am
contacted?
When the family is contacted regarding their
status on the Wait List they must provide eligible citizenship status documentation on all
family members for the following: birth certificates, social
security cards and verification of all household income. A criminal
background check is made on all of the head of household members 18
years of age or older. Once the family is determined eligible for
the program, a Housing Choice Voucher is issued. The family can now
search for a suitable housing unit of their choice - as long as the
owner agrees to rent to them under the Section 8
program.
What should I expect once I have found
housing?
Once the participating family selects a suitable
housing unit, a Request for Tenancy Approval (RFTA) is completed by
the landlord and the participating family and then is submitted to
the Housing Authority. ACHA reviews the proposed owner’s lease to
ensure it does not contain any prohibited provisions. ACHA will then
conduct a Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspection of the unit.
The landlord and participating family then enter into a lease and
ACHA and the landlord enters into a Housing Assistance Payment (HAP)
contract.
How is rent determined?
The Tenant’s
portion of rent is calculated on 30% of adjusted gross monthly
income but no more than 40%. The total contract rent to the landlord
will include the cost of utilities for the tenant. The tenant is
required to pay the calculated amount directly to the landlord. The
portion ACHA pays is the difference between the actual rent and the
portion the tenant pays. This is called the Housing Assistance
Payment (HAP) and is paid directly to the
landlord.
Application for Section 8 housing
For
more information on section 8 housing contact us at section8@achaco.com or (303)
227-2075
Public Housing Program
The Adams County Housing Authority (ACHA) has 77
units of Public Housing. The units consist of 35 single family three
bedroom homes dispersed throughout the City of Westminster and
unincorporated Adams County and 42 one bedroom apartment homes for
the elderly and disabled at Casa Redonda de Vigil in unincorporated
Adams County.
Who is Eligible?
Public housing
is limited to families and individuals whose income is less than
program income limits. Each adult member is subject to a criminal
background check. Applicants that meet program eligibility are
placed on a wait list. When an opening occurs, the next person is
contacted and offered the unit, subject to verification of continued
program eligibility.
Tenant rent is based on 30% of the
family's adjusted gross monthly income. Residents sign a dwelling
lease for the unit and pay their portion of the rent directly to
ACHA.
How is housing determined?
Family
composition guidelines denote the number of bedrooms allocated per
family size (e.g. 2 people per sleeping room and persons of the
opposite sex over the age of six are not required to share a room).
Public Housing assistance is available as long as the family remains
eligible and occupies the offered unit – the assistance is not
transferable.
Wait list info
Public Housing
does have a wait list that is currently taking applications.
Applications are available and accepted at 7190 Colorado Blvd.,
Commerce City, CO 80022.
Closing of the Waitlist
The Adams County Housing Authority (ACHA) announces the closing of its three (3) bedroom Low Income Public Housing (LIPH) waitlist effective immediately. EOH
For more information call (303)
227-2075. or email publichousing@achaco.com
Family
Self-Sufficiency Program
The Family Self-Sufficiency Program (FSS) is a
program designed to assist low-income families and individuals break
their dependency with public assistance programs and achieve
economic self-sufficiency by integrating existing public and private
resources into a personal development plan.
What Services
are included?
Assistance is provided in the areas of
housing, childcare, job training and employment, tuition assistance,
clothing allowance and transportation. For additional services see
below.
Who is eligible for these services?
All
Section 8 recipients and public housing families are eligible to
participate in the program. Interested families meet with the FSS
program staff and together they develop an individual needs
assessment. The head of the household is required to participate. An
action plan is established by setting goals and objectives. The
family must sign a Contract Of Participation (COP) stating that they
agree to follow through with the plan designed for them. The plan
can be revised to address changing circumstances and may encompass
multiple years.
Are there additional benefits of this
service?
An escrow account is established for each
family. As the family’s income increases from earned income, a
portion of that increase is deposited to the FSS escrow account on
behalf of the family. The monthly deposit will increase as the
family’s income continues to increase. At the completion of the
contract and certification that no family member is receiving public
assistance and has not received any assistance for the past twelve
months, the family is then entitled to the escrow account. There is
no restriction on how the money is spent; however, families are
encouraged to participate in the Homeownership Opportunities Program
to purchase their own housing.
What is the fee for these
services?
These services are offered at no charge to all
Section 8 recipients and Public Housing families.
The
program offers the following additional services
FREE of
Charge:
•Savings account that is not taxable as
income
•Job skills training
•Resume writing assistance
•Job
search assistance
AND MUCH, MUCH MORE!!
For additional
information contact us at FSS@achaco.com or (303)
227-2075.
Tenant
Based Rental Asistance Program (TBRA)
To assist renters, ACHA has implemented the Tenant
Based Rental Assistance Program (TBRA). TBRA is a short-term
transitional housing program (maximum 24 months of assistance) monthly rental subsidy with
intensive case management. TBRA is not part of the Section 8 Housing
Program. The structure of the program allows families to overcome
their financial obstacles while still being able to retain
housing.
You must meet the following qualifications in order
to be considered for the TBRA program:
• Must be Income eligible and meet the minimum requirments (30-50% Median Income)
• The rental assistance is only only for persons wishing
to reside in Adams County.
• Ongoing Intensive Case
Management
• Must pass a criminal background check
•
Eligible Immigration Status must be met
• Must be able to pass a drug test
For more
information or to apply for TBRA assistance, please contact Adams
County Housing Authority at tbra@achaco.com.
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