The City of Lawrence through its Community Development Department offers Lawrence homeowners various Housing Programs. All Programs are contingent upon funding availability and housing priorities. Housing priorities are based on at-risk situations and high-risk targeted neighborhoods.
Rehabilitation/Deleading Program:
Low and moderate-income homeowners and investors/developers may be eligible for grants and/or loans offered by the City of Lawrence through its Housing Program for properties located in the City. Our primary goal is to eliminate building and sanitary code violations and decrease the instances of lead poisoning in children by increasing the availability of affordable lead safe housing. The program offers low interest loans, deferred payment loans and/or grants to all eligible owners and investors. Due to periodic changes in federal regulations and budgetary constraints, program guidelines are designed to be flexible and are therefore subject to change.
Housing Development Using HOME Funds
The City of Lawrence receives approximately $1,000,000 in HOME funding annually from the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Allocations among various programs are indentified in the City’s annual Action Plan submitted to HUD.
Generally, the City allocates the HOME funds among 4 types of projects or programs: homebuyer assistance, housing rehabilitation, development or substantial redevelopment of housing, and CHDO developments. A CHDO is private, non profit, community-based service organization with the capacity to develop affordable housing. The City is required to set aside a minimum of 15 per cent of its annual HOME allocation for CHDO developments. The public is invited to review the most recent Action Plan for the intended use of HOME funds for the current year.
The City makes available about $300,000 to $500,000 annually for projects in the development/substantial redevelopment category. A developer typically combines HOME funding with other public and private resources. Rather than having a specific Request for Proposal process at a given time during the year, we consider projects on an ongoing basis. We suggest an interested potential applicant contact us and make an appointment to discuss a project. The request should be accompanied by a brief description of the proposed project, the experience of the developer, and proposed sources and uses of funds. If the proposal is consistent with the city’s priorities in the Consolidated Plan, and the applicant demonstrates sufficient experience and resources to pursue the project, we will invite a full application. Typically,
such an application would be a copy of a Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) One-Stop application.
Please contact Yesenia Gil at 978-620-3534 or ygil@cityoflawrence.com to arrange an appointment to discuss HOME funding.
First Time Homebuyer Assistance Program:
The City of Lawrence's First Time Homebuyer Assistance Program is a federally funded HOME program that provides financial assistance to low and moderate-income households in the purchase of their first home. Down payment assistance is available to qualified Lawrence homebuyers in the form of a 0% deferred loan forgiven in five years for 3% of the home's purchase price to assist with down payment and closing costs.
Emergency Program for the Elderly and Disabled:
This Program is offered to low and moderate income elderly and disabled homeowners throughout the City of Lawrence whom have deferred maintenance needs, that have not been addressed because of limited income. If these problems are left unattended, the repair costs increase and if it's a multi family home they are at risk of losing their tenants which compounds the situation because these rents may be the only source of the elders income. This program allows elderly/disabled homeowners to maintain their homes, as well as gives the housing staff the opportunity to provide assistance for emergency repair without completing full code compliance.
Buying or refinancing your home may be one of the most important financial decisions you'll ever make. Many lenders, appraisers, and real estate agents are ready to help you get a nice home and a great loan. However, you need to have all the information before making your decisions. You need to understand the home buying process to be a smart consumer. Every year, people who don’t have the right information become victims of predatory lending or loan fraud. Don't let this happen to you!
For more information on our housing programs, call us at 978-620-3510.
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