+ Program Qualifications

To qualify for the Brown County Housing Choice Voucher Homeownership program you must:

• Be a current Voucher rental assistance participant or be selected from the waiting list for Voucher assistance.
• Be consistently employed for at least one year (disabled families are exempt from this requirement).
• Earn a minimum annual income of $14,500 or $8,652 if you are disabled and receiving Supplemental Social Securtiy Income.
• Be in compliance with your current lease (you must not break your lease or owe your landlord any money, not leave your unit with damages or past rent or utilities due).
• Be able to secure a mortgage loan from a lender.
• Be a first time homeowner (must not have owned a home in the past 3 years, unless you are a single parent or displaced homemaker who owned a home with your spouse). An exemption may be granted for families which have a disabled family member.

+ Steps to Ownership

1. Join waiting list If you think you meet the program qualifications, but are not yet on the Housing Choice Voucher Program, you must first submit an application and be selected from the waiting list. When your name is selected from the waiting list, we will contact you for an eligibility interview. Once you are eligible for a Section 8 voucher, you may proceed.

2. Homebuyer Counseling - Call a HUD certified Homeownership Counseling Program. Upon completion, provide ICS with a copy of your certificate.

3. Loan Pre-approval - Talk to a lender about pre-approval for a mortgage. The lender will determine how much you can afford and will provide you with a statement of pre-approval.

   **You will need to provide the pre-approval letter to ICS.

4. Find a home - Start looking for a home in your pre-approved price range. The home will need to be inspected and approved by ICS.

5. Make an Offer - After you have received approval from ICS, you will work with your realtor to complete an offer to purchase.

   **Provide a copy of the accepted offer to your homeownership coordinator once it has been signed by the seller.

6. Home Inspections - When you have an accepted offer to purchase, the home will need to pass ICS's Housing Quality Standards Inspection. You will also need to hire a private inspector to inspect the house.

   **You must provide a copy of the 3rd party inspection report to ICS. All required repairs would need to be completed and approved before you purchase the house.

7. Closing - If you meet all eligibility & financing requirements you can close on your home. **Contact ICS to schedule your final appointment prior to closing on your home.