LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville Metro’s Office of Housing is now accepting applications for its down payment assistance and home repair programs, which aim to help low- to moderate-income individuals access and retain homeownership and build generational wealth.
In the approved budget, Mayor Greg Fischer allocated $3 million for the down payment assistance program, up from $1 million in fiscal year 2021, and roughly $7.7 million for the four home repair programs – regular home repair, at-risk, Russell rental rehab and exterior code alleviation.
Households must be at or below 80% area median income (AMI) to be eligible for the down payment assistance and home repair programs. That is $61,500 or less a year for a family of four.
Applications for both may be submitted at https://portal.neighborlysoftware.com/louisvilleky/participant . Paper copies are available at the Metro Development Center, 444 S. 5th St. Those with questions about the application process and the programs can call the Office of Housing at (502) 574-5850.
Down Payment Assistance
The down payment assistance program provides a partially forgivable loan with 0% interest to low- to moderate-income homebuyers for the down payment and closing costs associated with purchasing a home in Louisville.
Approved applicants can receive up to 20% of the purchase price of the home, and the amount is determined based on individual needs. The average amount of down payment assistance paid out is $21,706 per applicant.
As part of a term of the assistance, the purchased home must be the homebuyers’ primary residence for a period of five to 15 years, depending upon the amount of assistance received. By the end of that specified period, 50% of the loan is forgiven.
The down payment assistance program is not limited to first-time home buyers only. Eligible applicants must:
- Be pre-approved for a mortgage from a local financial institution.
- Have no unpaid collections, past due balances or un-discharged bankruptcies, except medical collections of up to $10,000.
- Have at least $1,500 in savings.
- Meet set home price limits.
Learn more about the down payment assistance program at https://louisvilleky.gov/government/housing/down-payment-assistance-program.
Home Repair Programs
The home repair programs are committed to providing repairs to help stabilize the home for low- to moderate-income individuals who own and are currently living in single-family homes.
The regular home repair, at-tisk and Russell rental rehab programs focus on maintaining and increasing the supply of affordable, decent, safe and sanitary housing by making investments that positively impact the health and safety of the occupants, including repairing or replacing HVAC, furnace, electrical, plumbing, roof and gutters.
The exterior code alleviation program eliminates exterior code violations and makes minor essential exterior repairs to improve the sustainability of the home while ensuring their home is warm, safe and dry. Funds through this program may pay for repair or replacement of exterior painting, siding, foundation, windows, roof and more.
The average amount of home repair assistance paid out through the four programs is $24,000 per applicant.
The exterior code alleviation program and regular home repair program are available to qualified residents throughout Louisville. The Russell rental rehab program is only available to property owners in the Russell neighborhood. The at-risk program is for residents in West Louisville, Shelby Park and Smoketown.
Learn more about the home repair programs at https://louisvilleky.gov/government/housing/home-repair-programs.
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