Roanoke & Lynchburg Area Housing Organizations Receive $7.5 Million in Financing to Address Housing Needs

Three Roanoke and Lynchburg housing organizations are receiving good news and much needed funding for first-time homebuyers in the Roanoke and Lynchburg areas. The Virginia Housing Development Authority recently announced that it is allocating $7.5 million in low-interest financing to these groups to finance affordable homes in the Roanoke and Lynchburg areas of Virginia.

The allocations are funded through VHDA’s Sponsoring Partnerships and Revitalizing Communities (SPARC) program, which provides home loans to potential homebuyers through local governments, non-profit organizations, developers and redevelopment and housing authorities. The organizations then combine a variety of local, state and federal loan and grant programs to design a variety of financing options that meet the needs of buyers in their specific communities. Organizations that received SPARC funding are eligible to receive allocations at an interest rate of 1/2 to 1 percent below VHDA’s rate for first-time homebuyer programs.

In addition to providing customized home financing programs, SPARC funds also support VHDA’s strategic initiatives, including community revitalization and addressing the housing needs of seniors, minorities and those with disabilities.

Blue Ridge Housing Development Corporation has been awarded an allocation of $3 million to assist borrowers purchasing homes throughout the Roanoke Valley and to continue promoting the Officer At Home Program (OATH). Individual Development Accounts (IDA) and Mortgage Assistance Program (MAP) funds from the City of Roanoke will be available for downpayment and closing cost assistance. In addition, the Blue Ridge Housing Development Corporation has been awarded an allocation of $1 million to continue its Project GOLD (Gainesboro Opportunities Leveraging Development) initiative and the new Gilmer Project, which is helping to revitalize neighborhoods located in federal targeted areas. New construction is made affordable utilizing Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) and HOME funds. Downpayment and closing cost assistance will be available, as well.

Lynchburg Neighborhood Development Foundation (LNDF) has been awarded an allocation $1.5 million to assist borrowers purchasing new or existing homes in the area. HOME and FHLB funds will be available to assist borrowers with downpayment and closing costs. In addition, an allocation of $500,000 has been awarded to help borrowers purchasing existing homes within their service area. LNDF will actively market and outreach to minority communities. The Lynchburg Community Loan Fund and HOME funds will be available for downpayment and closing cost assistance.

Total Action Against Poverty has been awarded an allocation of $1.5 million to assist borrowers purchasing existing homes scattered within the areas of Roanoke, Allegheny, Botetourt, Craig, Rockbridge, Lexington, Clifton Forge, Salem, Buena Vista and Covington. Both Wells Fargo Housing Foundation and HOME funds are available for downpayment and closing cost assistance.

“We developed the SPARC program so that our housing partners could bring us customized programs that generally are not available from private lenders or through VHDA’s regular lending programs,” said Don Ritenour, VHDA’s managing director of development. “Our partners have the knowledge and direct insight into the unmet needs in their communities. They are in the best position to design programs that combine the local, state and/or federal funding they have received with our SPARC monies to make every dollar count.”

Organizations submitted proposals to VHDA in April 2007. All proposals underwent an initial eligibility review and a subsequent competitive review process.

In addition to addressing local needs, the proposals needed to support some or all of VHDA’s homeownership goals including: helping provide loans to low-income households, diverse cultures, minority populations and persons with disabilities; encouraging the construction or rehabilitation of homes for accessibility and overall quality improvements; revitalizing communities; and meeting housing needs not met by traditional lenders.

Proposals that significantly support VHDA’s business goals received an allocation of funds at an interest rate of 1 percent below the rate for VHDA’s first-time homebuyer loan program, which at today’s rate would be 5.125 percent for a 30-year fixed rate loan. Other allocations had an interest rate of ½ percent below VHDA’s first-time homebuyer rate. Exact rates are determined at the time of actual loan reservation.

VHDA’s SPARC program has allocated more than $730 million to housing organizations to encourage homeownership throughout Virginia since the program was created five years ago.

For more information about the SPARC program, call the Virginia Housing Development Authority at 1-877-VHDA-123 or visit its Web site at www.vhda.com.

VHDA is Virginia’s housing finance agency. It is a self-supporting authority that issues bonds to raise private capital for its lending programs. VHDA provides consumers with low-interest rate loans to purchase or renovate homes. VHDA also lends money to developers for the development, rehabilitation and renovation of affordable apartments.