Santa Cruz County: $1 Million grant to assist low-income homebuyers, tenants

The California Department of Housing and Community Development is helping first-time homeowners cover their down payments and assisting low-income tenants with paying their rents through a $1 million grant.

The grant is part of the 16 Home Investment Partnerships Program (HOME).

“The HOME program serves as a one-stop-shop for a wide variety of grants and loans for hard-working homeowners and renters,” said California Director of Housing and Development Ben Metcalf.

“The housing market in Santa Cruz presents an enormous challenge for working families,” added Housing Coordinator for the County of Santa Cruz Julie Conway. “These funds will be used to help secure and maintain stable housing, and in some cases allow families to purchase their first homes.”

$610,000 of the $1 million grant will go towards helping first time homeowners who make less than 80 percent of the median income cover their down payments while $365,000 will go towards the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance Program .