Long Beach residents interested in applying for up to $20,000 of assistance under the city’s First-Time Homebuyer Assistance Program will have another opportunity to learn more at a workshop next week.
On Aug. 16, an orientation session will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Long Beach Energy Resources Auditorium, 2400 E. Spring St. RSVP online here.
Applications opened this spring, and grants were made available to 100 eligible families to assist them with down payment and closing costs.
The program is funded by the Long Beach Recovery Act and operated by the Development Services Department.
Applicants must be first-time homebuyers, which is federally defined by these guidelines:
- Someone who has not owned a home in the past three years.
- A single parent or displaced homemaker who has only owned with a former spouse.
- A person who has only owned a principal residence that was not attached to a permanent foundation.
- Someone who has only owned a principal residence that was not in compliance with state, local or model building codes.
Applicants must also reside within a federal Community Development Block Grant-designated area in the city. View a map of those areas here.
More eligibility requirements and income limits can be found here. Complete a pre-application self screening here.
The applications process will remain open until available funding runs out for 100 eligible families. A spokesperson for Development Services said 94 applications have already been submitted, and out of those, 47 households have been prequalified to receive a grant once they open escrow on an eligible home. Meanwhile, 17 more applications are under review.
So far, eight grants have been awarded and two more are expected to be awarded for households who close escrow this month.
For more information, the city’s program partner, FORWARD, can be contacted at 855-582-3973 or [email protected].
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with more information from the Development Services Department.