Attainable Home Ownership Program To Help Secure Up To 75% Of Down Payment
LANGFORD – The City of Langford has introduced an aggressive plan to allow first-time buyers to enter the housing market.
When applications open in early 2022, Langford’s Attainable Home Ownership Program will help qualified buyers secure up to 75 per cent of the down payment for their home – the first-of-its-kind initiative in Canada.
Council has made affordable housing a priority, and this new program creates unique opportunities for first-time buyers. The City’s website states it “. . .is not a loan, it’s a gift, a boost and a jump-start for their lives and the lives of their families.”
It doesn’t have to be repaid, and also won’t be taxed.
Mayor Stew Young states “While affordable housing has always been a focus of Council, we are now directing our attention to attainable home ownership. This program comes at the height of a major housing crisis across the region and will assist those Langford families who could afford a mortgage payment but are struggling to save the amount necessary for a down payment.
“We want to see more Langford residents in a position where they can purchase their own home.”
No taxpayer dollars are allocated towards the program, as the grant money will come from the City’s Affordable Housing Reserve Fund, which is funded by contributions provided by developers as a condition of rezoning for increased density.
Families will be able to purchase a two-bedroom condo in participating new developments with a purchase price of less than $450,000, and is intended to help people who, while they may qualify for a mortgage, cannot save the minimum down payment.
Prerequisites for successful applicants include having a minimum two-person household (one can be an eligible dependent), an annual gross household income of $125,000 or less, current value of assets not exceeding $50,000, and already qualifying for a pre-mortgage approval of $450,000.
They also don’t have access to down payment assistant from family or friends, don’t own any current real estate, and have lived in Langford for the past two years.
Successful applicants will receive a percentage of the 5 percent necessary down payment. For example, those households making less than $99,999 would receive 75 per cent of the down payment, from $100,000 to $114,999 would get 50 percent, and $115,000 to $125,000 would receive 25 percent.
City staff will determine which buyers meet the qualifying criteria, and they’ll be given a Commitment Letter, which they would need to show to the seller of their desired unit before entering into a purchase and sale agreement, on a first come-first served basis.
The eligible units would be between 875 and 950 square feet, with a minimum of two 10 x 10 foot bedrooms, excluding the closet.
To learn more about the program, visit https://www.langford.ca/residents/welcomehome/
