OPEN DOORS HOMEOWNERSHIP GRANTS

To read about the 2009 recipients, click here.

"The CAHEC Homeownership Grant was instrumental in the successful marketing of our Three Seeds neighborhood. . . . The grant gave us the money to launch an effective marketing campaign."  ---Housing Assistance Corporation, Hendersonville, NC

"A grant with built-in flexibility . . . eases some of the tension that comes when timelines and funding don't come together in a perfect way."  ---Interfaith Housing Alliance, Inc., Frederick, MD

"Funding from CAHEC helped us not only provide greater and comprehensive outreach to potential applicants; the grant helped us realize the importance of our Family Services program."  ---Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity, Asheville, NC

"Thank you for the work of your organization and for seeing a need that isn't being met by other funding sources. . . . The CAHEC Open Doors Homeownership Grant literally opened the door for many homebuyers to realize their dream of homeownership."  ---Athens Land Trust, Athens, GA

CAHEC created the Open Doors Homeownership Grant specifically for nonprofit organizations engaged in developing affordable housing for sale to low-income households living in CAHEC's service area (see below). Up to four grants of $7,500 each are available.

The Open Doors Homeownership Grant is not intended to provide gap financing for the construction of affordable housing. Rather, because nonprofit developers often incur expenses not listed in a development budget, CAHEC designed the Open Doors Homeownership Grant to supplement the costs associated with developing housing for sale to low-income households. Eligible expenses include, but are not limited to, training, travel, marketing, and consultants.

To learn more about the Open Doors Homeownership Grant and to download a 2009 application, click here. Applications are scored in a competitive review process, and awards are distributed throughout CAHEC's footprint based on the quality of the proposals. Funding is in no way guaranteed.

"CAHEC made the process very, very easy. We know that you truly understand what it is like for small nonprofits, and we are grateful for the support."  --Housing Initiative Partnership, Hyattsville, MD

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for consideration, an applicant must be:

• A nonprofit organization with tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and organized and operated for charitable purposes. (CAHEC may give consideration to tax-exempt organizations other than 501(c)(3) organizations; these applicants should contact Chris Stigall before applying.)


• Located within and primarily serving Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and Washington, D.C.


• In need of a $7,500 grant to assist in the development of housing for sale to low-income residents. Eligible expenditures include all "soft costs" related to the development of housing for sale to low-income residents such as travel, consultants, and training.

An existing relationship with CAHEC is NOT a requirement for funding.

Organizations receiving a CAHEC Open Doors Homeownership Grant will be asked to sign a Grant Agreement. Grantees agree to submit a final report in which they describe how the funds were used. Once CAHEC receives the final report, grant recipients are eligible to apply for future grants.

Funding Criteria

The housing plans must meet the following minimum criteria:

• The project includes a minimum of five (5) new or substantially rehabilitated homes. The homes may be scattered-site stand-alone single-family houses, condominiums, or townhomes. Substantial rehabilitation is defined as hard costs equal to or in excess of $20,000 per home.


• Purchase of the homes is restricted to households earning 80% or less of the Area Median Income as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, adjusted for family size.


• Residents of the local and low-income community in which the housing is being built are participating in the planning process.



• Homeownership training is in place for purchasers before and after the purchase of the home.


• The homes must be sold by the end of the second year after the funds are awarded.

To learn more about the Open Doors Homeownership Grant and to download a 2009 application, click here.

"Application is short and to the point, and reporting requirements are very reasonable."  ---Durham Community Land Trustees, Durham, NC

CAHEC is happy to announce the recipients of the 2009 Open Doors Homeownership Grant. We received applications from a wide range of nonprofits all dedicated to improving the housing opportunities for local residents in seven southeastern states. Members of CAHEC's Social Responsibility Committee, who judged the entries, were both heartened by and impressed with the many creative affordable housing solutions described in all of the applications.

Although all projects were worthy, the winning applications provided a clear demonstration of the impact of the development on the community, included a detailed project budget, and were well-written and complete. Each of the recipients received a $7,500 grant to assist in the development of housing for sale to low-income residents.

Below is a synopsis of each organization's project.

Community Housing Partners
930 Cambria Street, NE
Christiansburg, VA 24073
(540) 382-2002
www.communityhousingpartners.org

Community Housing Partners (CHP) has developed Cedar Hill Homes, 10 single-family homes in the high-cost market of Blacksburg, Virginia. Green, attractive, and affordable, these homes will provide sustainable homeownership opportunities to underserved families. CAHEC's grant will contribute to this project in three ways: (1) provide signage made from environmentally sound materials that will concretely publicize the housing's affordability; (2) help create an electronic and interactive homeowner's manual containing warranty information, maintenance instructions and schedules, Green tips, and budgeting tools; and (3) fund an outcomes-based evaluation to collect data on CHP's customer service, housing quality, and community impact.

Housing Greensboro, Inc.
617B North Elm Street
Greensboro, NC 27401
(336) 232-0142
www.housinggreensboro.org

Housing Greensboro, Inc. (HGI), grew out of a partnership among Greensboro Housing Coalition, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Greensboro, and the Center to Create Housing Opportunities. HGI operates two programs that help provide decent, safe, and affordable housing to low-income families: a home repair program for low-income homeowners and a home rehabilitation program that acquires homes through foreclosures and donations and renovates them using green and energy-efficiency techniques to ensure low upkeep and energy costs. HGI will use CAHEC's funding to purchase blower door equipment, gauges, and a thermal imaging camera and to provide staff with training and certifications. Energy auditors use blower door systems to ensure low-energy cost for energy-efficient certification. HGI will perform seven rehabs in 2009, but the equipment, training, and certification will be used in the future on countless homes, and the savings will be passed on to homebuyers.

Self-Help Community Development Corp.
301 W. Main Street
Durham, NC 27702
(919) 956-4680
www.self-help.org

By the end of 2011, Self-Help will have rebuilt or renovated 33 housing units in two neighborhoods in Southwest Central Durham, an area where the number of vacant homes has tripled since 1990. For the families moving into the West End and Lyon Park neighborhoods, Self-Help will procure, set up, and stock a community tool shed with the CAHEC grant as well as offer quarterly workshops on pertinent home maintenance topics. Residents will be able to borrow, at a nominal rental cost, outdoor maintenance and indoor repair tools such as power washers, ladders, shovels, electric drills, etc. Volunteers will staff the tool shed no less than twice a week.

Wesley Community Development Corporation
1321-C Dixie Drive
Statesville, NC 28677
(800) 723-1005
www.wesleycdc.com

With the recent influx of retirees and vacation homeowners in Transylvania (NC) County, housing prices have increased significantly while entry-level wages have not kept pace. Wesley CDC, a nonprofit developer based in Statesville, has teamed up with four nonprofits in Brevard to build 10 affordable homes over the next two years. CAHEC's grant will help with travel expenses from the home office, architectural design and site preparation necessary for the hilly terrain and narrow lots available in Brevard, and legal expenses connected with closing.