County-Owned Property:
To receive County-owned property, the developer must be in the qualified developer pool that is selected through a Request for Qualification (RFQ) process. Once selected, pool member remain in the pool for a period of five years. The pool is refreshed annually to allow new developers into the pool. Selection is based on the following criteria:
Proposer’s past performance and experience;
Proposer’s construction financial capability;
Proposer’s approach to meeting time schedule and budgets;
Proposer’s marketing skills and ability reach eligible households.
Private Property:
Privately-owned property that is located within the Infill Target Areas and is suitable for the development of affordable single family housing can also participate in the Program. Interested owners can apply to the Program by filing an Application for Private Lots (pdf) with the Infill Housing Program. Program participants will be required to build the home in accordance with the Infill Housing Initiative Guidelines (pdf). In exchange the County will release County liens that existed on the property prior to the current owner acquiring the property and the developer will be eligible to have impact fees and water and sewer connection charges deferred and/or refunded. Qualified homebuyers will also have priority in receiving funding assistance in the form of second mortgages.
HOME BUYER REQUIREMENTS
Qualifications Every dwelling unit developed through the Infill Housing Program must be sold to a qualified household to be used as his or her own primary residence (rentals not permitted). A household is deemed qualified once they have met the following requirements:
Homeownership Counseling: The eligible household must complete a homeownership training course through a participating counseling agency that provides financial management, credit counseling and other related technical services to participating families for the purpose of financing a single-family home and has received a certificate verifying that he/she has successfully completed the course.
First Time Homebuyer: The eligible household must be a first-time homebuyer. A first-time homebuyer is an individual who meets any one of the following criteria:
An individual who has had no ownership interest in a principal residence during the 3-year period ending on the date of purchase of the property. This includes a spouse (if either meets the above test, they are considered first-time homebuyers);
A single parent who has only owned a home with a former spouse while married;
An individual who is a displaced homemaker and has only owned with a spouse;
An individual who has only owned a principal residence not permanently affixed to a permanent foundation in accordance with applicable regulations;
Income Verification: The eligible household must provide proof, in the form of a mortgage commitment letter, that they meet the income level of a low or moderate income household. For a list of participating lenders and income limits, click on the underlined.
Affordability Control Every home built through the Infill Housing Initiative must be sold to a qualified household at or below the maximum sales price set by the Program, which is currently $225,000. At closing the buyer is required to execute and record an Affordable Housing Restrictive Covenant (pdf) which states that the home shall remain affordable for a minimum of twenty (20) years (the “Control Period”); and, that if the owner desires to sell the home prior to the expiration of the “Control Period,” the owner must:
Notify the Infill Housing Program that the home is for sale;
Sell the home to another qualified buyer at or below the maximum sales price as established in the covenant.
