Reduce local regulatory barriers to affordable homeownership housing, and provide down-payment assistance loans to qualifying first-time low- and moderate-income homebuyers in BEGIN Program projects.

Assistance Type and Terms

Grants to cities and counties (grant recipients).  The grant recipients made deferred-payment, second mortgage 30-year loans to qualified buyers of new homes in projects where the affordability had been enhanced by local regulatory incentives or barrier reductions.  The loans accrued simple interest of one to three percent (1 to 3 percent) and could not exceed 20 percent of the home sales price.   In certain cases, this included mobilehomes provided they were on permanent foundations.

Note:  The BEGIN Program did not lend directly to individuals.

Eligible Activities

Second mortgage loans for down-payment assistance to low- or moderate-income first-time homebuyers for newly constructed housing and located in developments facilitated by local regulatory incentives or barrier reductions, including manufactured homes in some cases.

Eligible Applicants

All cities and counties in the State of California.

Application Process

Applications were invited through the issuance of Notices of Funding Availability (NOFA).  No applications are being accepted for this program at this time.