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Contact: Lydia Agro Communications Director
Location: 52 Chauncy Street, 11th Floor
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A Boston Housing Authority first time homebuyer program has allowed 32 low to moderate income public housing, Section 8, and eligible City of Boston families to realize their dream of homeownership and the purchase of their own homes. A celebration of this achievement was held on May 30 with Mayor Thomas M. Menino, BHA Administrator Sandra Henriquez and the new homeowners.
The program, called the Maverick Landing HOPE VI Loan-to-Purchaser Program, has made a total of $1 million available, through a BHA HOPE VI Grant, for up to 50 families to purchase homes. Thus far, 32 participants have bought homes through the program and were provided up to $20,000 of down payment and closing cost assistance toward their purchase.
“This program is providing families with the support they need to become homeowners. Affordable housing and homeownership opportunities should be available to all citizens and in Boston, we work hard to make that happen,” said Mayor Thomas M. Menino.
Nineteen of the 32 homes were bought in Boston neighborhoods - nine of which were purchased in Dorchester, one in Roslindale, two in East Boston, one in Mattapan, one in Hyde Park, one in Roxbury and two in West Roxbury. Maverick Landing families were given the first opportunity to partake in the program, which was then made available to other BHA public housing residents, Section 8 participants and other eligible City of Boston families. Families had to have an income of 50-80 percent of Area Median Income to qualify for the program. For a family of four, eligible income would fall between $41,350 to $66,150 per year.
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“Each one of the families who achieved this goal has worked hard to get where they are today,” said BHA Administrator Sandra B. Henriquez. “We are proud of them and pleased that we could assist them in their journey for greater financial stability and economic independence.”
The Neighborhood of Affordable Housing (NOAH), an East Boston organization, provided each family with homeownership counseling and assisted them through the process of purchasing their homes. NOAH is also providing each family with post-purchase counseling.
The celebration was held at the home of Andres and Nilda Otero, who purchased a home at 2 Drayton Avenue. This address is part of Drayton Homes, a 12-unit group of duplex homes developed by New Atlantic Development Corporation and offered to eligible homebuyers through a 1st HOME lottery through the City of Boston’s Department of Neighborhood Development.
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