HouseCharlotte Program
The Housing Partnership is proud to administer the HouseCharlotte Program on behalf of the City of Charlotte. Together, we’re addressing an important need in our community by helping hardworking people achieve upward mobility through homeownership.
The HouseCharlotte Program offers five deferred and forgivable downpayment assistance loan options for household incomes at or below 80% area median income. The program features downpayment assistance for Charlotte Community Heroes – law enforcement officers, charter and pre-K-12th grade public schoolteachers, paraprofessionals, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, healthcare workers, and other essential workers.
To learn more, read below and check out Featured Programs on the right.
HouseCharlotte Program Overview
Income Eligibility Chart
HouseCharlotte Approved Lenders
Additional information is outlined below.
Program Features (For homebuyers not eligible for the Community Heroes Program)
The HouseCharlotte Program provides 5, 10, or 15-year, deferred, forgivable loans to qualified applicants. Funds can be used to cover downpayment, closing cost and interest rate buy down.
- Funding up to $10,000 for families with household income at or below 80% Area Median Income (AMI) purchasing within Charlotte City limits.
- Funding up to $10,000 for Public Service Employees with household income at or below 80% AMI purchasing within Charlotte City limits.
- Funding up to $7,500 for families with household income above 80% AMI, up to 110% AMI purchasing within Charlotte City limits.
- Funding up to $17,000 for families with household income at or below 80% AMI purchasing in select high cost neighborhoods.
Additional eligibility requirements
- Maximum purchase price is $300,000 for new construction properties and $245,000 for existing properties.
- Families with household income that is 110% or less of the HUD Area Median Income may be eligible.
- Participants must complete pre-purchase homebuyer education and counseling through a HUD-approved Housing Counseling Agency.
- The home must be a family’s primary residence and located within the City of Charlotte.
- The HouseCharlotte downpayment assistance can be combined with other downpayment assistance programs, such as North Carolina Housing Finance Agency Community Partners Loan Pool.
Featured Programs
Charlotte Community Heroes Program
The City of Charlotte has partnered with Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta (FHLB) to offer Community Heroes – a downpayment assistance program for:
school teachers
law enforcement officers
firefighters
other first responders (EMT, MEDIC)
and other essential workers
with household incomes of 80.01% to 120% Area Median Income (AMI).
Funding of up to $30,000
HouseCharlotte funding up to $22,500, with a 3:1 Match of up to $7500 from FHLB
Maximum purchase price is $300,000
Must purchase within Mecklenburg County
Click here to apply: Community Heroes Loan Submission Forms
To learn more about Charlotte Community Heroes, please review the frequently asked questions.
Important for lenders: Please note that the first mortgage lender will apply on the customer’s behalf – and must be an approved HouseCharlotte lender and Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta member or call 800-536-9650 ext. 8093.
Getting Started?
- Lenders apply for the program on behalf of eligible buyers. To find out if you are eligible, contact a a HouseCharlotte approved lender.
- Please note that HouseCharlotte is not affiliated with any Real Estate Company, Broker or Agent. Buyers are welcome to use the agent of their choice.
- The selected home must be located within the City of Charlotte limits. To determine if the property of interest is eligible, an address search must be completed through the mapping application.
- Once you have found a house in an eligible area, ask your lender to apply for the HouseCharlotte Program. All parties on the loan must attend a minimum of eight (8) hours of homebuyer education and counseling with a HUD-Approved Counseling Agency. To register for education courses, buyers can review our Homeownership Education Programs, or call the Homeownership Center of Charlotte at 704-342-0933, Prosperity Unlimited, Inc. at 704-933-7405, or another local HUD-Approved Counseling Agency or visit HUD.gov.
- Online Education is accepted from E-Home and Framework ONLY. One-on-one counseling is required. *Please note, we provide (4) hours of credit for online education therefore the remaining (4) hours should come from one-on-one counseling.
- A certificate is issued upon completion of training which is valid for one year only.
- Completion of homebuyer education training does not guarantee approval of HouseCharlotte funds.
For LENDERS and REALTORS
Address Search
To find out if a house is in a HouseCharlotte Program eligible area, enter the address in the HouseCharlotte Mapping Application. The property’s eligibility will be available in the information bubble on the map.
Please note Effective March 2014 Tenant occupied properties are not eligible for purchase using HouseCharlotte funds. Neither can the inspection request be processed. Once the tenant has moved, the inspection can be ordered. At that time a new purchase contract dated after the property is no longer tenant occupied, and a new Inspection Request form will be required.
- Email the inspection request form, along with the fully executed contract, to The Housing Partnership at HouseCharlotte@dkp.org.
- A HouseCharlotte team member will email the requestor, typically the Buyer’s Agent, when the inspection request is processed; notifying them of which Inspector should be contacted for scheduling.
- Certificate of Occupancy accepted if new construction.
In lieu of the HouseCharlotte inspection, buyer(s) have the option, at the buyer’s cost, to hire an independent Licensed NC Home Inspector. However, this Inspector must complete the HouseCharlotte Minimum Housing Inspection Forms along with their normal inspection form.
- Upon completion of the inspection, the fully executed contract, the inspection, and the completed 12 page HouseCharlotte Minimum Housing Inspection form must all be forwarded to HouseCharlotte via email to HouseCharlotte@dkp.org.
IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that if your customer chooses this option that you understand and furthermore COMMUNICATE TO THE INSPECTOR THAT TENANT-OCCUPIED PROPERTIES ARE NOT ALLOWED WITH THE HOUSECHARLOTTE PROGRAM.
Contacts
For General Program Information, Loan Submission Process and Requirements
The Housing Partnership HouseCharlotte Team
(704)705-3999
HouseCharlotte@dkp.org
For Lender Registration and Post Closing Account Services
City of Charlotte Housing & Neighborhood Services
Ron Mason
(704)336-2754
rmason@charlottenc.gov
For LENDERS
Lender Information
Loan Package Submission
– All loan submission packages requesting HouseCharlotte funds need to be submitted to The Housing Partnership.
– Please review Guidelines for Completing the HouseCharlotte Subsidy Package for detailed instructions.
– Lenders will be able to upload the loan submission package electronically through our SharePoint system at https://HouseCharlotte.dkp.org. This is our preferred method for receiving packages, however, in case of technical issues, our address is The Housing Partnership ATTN: HouseCharlotte 4601 Charlotte Park Drive, Suite 350, Charlotte, NC 28217.
– Each lender will be assigned (1) one username and password. Your Admin or Technical Support person will need to make sure the SharePoint access is set-up properly.
– A HouseCharlotte team member will confirm receipt of your package by emailing the lender and the Buyer’s agent.
– Upon receipt of a complete loan submission package, allow 20 business days for processing and funding.
– Once the loan is approved, the Lender, Buyer’s Agent and Closing Attorney will be notified via email.
The Closing Process
– When the HouseCharlotte funds are ready The Housing Partnership will notify the Lender, Buyer’s Agent and Closing Attorney via email. The check will need to be picked up at the City of Charlotte Housing & Neighborhood Services office, 600 E. Trade Street, Charlotte, NC 28202.
– The loan closing documents will be sent to the Attorney Office electronically from The Housing Partnership SharePoint system. The Attorney or Paralegal will need to download the closing documents from the system at https://HouseCharlotte.dkp.org.
– Each Attorney Office will be assigned (1) one username and password to be used by all locations.
– Attorney office should return closed executed original closing documents to The Housing Partnership ATTN: HouseCharlotte 4601 Charlotte Park Drive, Suite 350, Charlotte, NC 28217.
Become a Registered Lender
– Lender Information Letter (Includes items required to be submitted with Lender Agreement)
– Lender Agreement Effective April 1, 2017 – all Loan Officers who will use the HouseCharlotte Program must complete a Mandatory lender training. There is an initial New Lender Training as well as an annual renewal training requirement. Please contact HouseCharlotte@dkp.org for details.