Catholic Charities Offers Virtual First Time Homebuyer Workshops
ELMIRA | Catholic Charities’ Housing Counseling Department will host a First Time Homebuyer Workshop online. Registration is necessary for the Zoom Workshop to be held on February 16, 18, and 22.
Since 1994, the First Time Homebuyers Program has increased the rate of homeownership in the City of Elmira, by assisting moderate-income persons with the purchase of their first home.
Nearly two-thirds of the housing units in the City of Elmira were constructed before 1940. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) indicates more than half the households in the City of Elmira are moderate-income (incomes less than 80% of the median income of the Chemung County/Elmira Metropolitan Statistical Area). The age of the housing stock combined with the low to moderate incomes of City residents has had a major impact on the condition of housing and neighborhoods in the City.
The preservation of the City’s housing stock and improving the quality of life in our neighborhoods has become one of the primary objectives of citizens, elected officials, and staff professionals who believe that the quality of housing stock is a primary source of neighborhood stability.
The primary housing objectives of the City’s Department of Community Development are:
1. Improve and preserve the quality and safety of the housing stock;
2. Comprehensive Revitalization of Elmira’s neighborhoods;
3. Prevention of Homelessness and Housing Instability;
4. Fair Housing;
5. To reduce the risks of lead poisoning by reducing or eliminating lead paint hazards in residential properties.
Catholic Charities partners with the City to provide pre-purchase education for those interested in buying their first home. Currently, the homebuying workshop is offered online. To learn more about the program, to find out if you qualify, or to register for the virtual workshop, please call 607-734-9784 or email Amy at Amy.Bell@dor.org. If you currently own your own home and are having difficulty paying your mortgage, please call Karen at 607-734-9784 or email her at Karen.Wheeler@dor.org to see what solutions might be available.