Housing

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• Enroll in and complete a HUD-certified homebuyer education course/program

• Find a home in Brooklyn, Brooklyn Park, or Curtis Bay

• Complete and submit an application for GBA’s Homebuyers Assistance Program

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The assistance is offered as a forgivable loan. The loan will be forgiven (the homebuyer will not be required to pay it back to GBA) if the homebuyer maintains the home as their primary residence for the full five years after closing on the house. The loan will be forgiven by GBA over a term of 5 years at a reduction rate of 20% per year.​​

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The base amount of assistance is $10,000. As part of GBA’s Live Near Your Park incentive, homebuyers can receive an additional $5,000 when they choose to purchase a home on specific blocks close to selected parks. A determination on whether a homebuyer is eligible for the $5,000 will be made upon completion and submission of their application to the program.

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• When the homebuyer education program is HUD-approved it means that the counselors are specially trained and certified by the federal government to help you assess your financial situation and help you learn about the homebuying process. These programs will review the homebuying process, as well as resources available to homebuyers. Housing counselors may also work with you one-on-one to review your finances and help you prepare for buying a home. 

• Courses are usually a couple months long and some locations may have waitlists, dependong on demand and organizational capacity. Therefore, it is suggested that if you are interested in purchasing a home and receiving assistance, that you sign-up for a HUD-approved homebuyer education course ahead of finding a home. ​

• ​​You can use this list to HUD- approved homebuyer education providers in Maryland, categorized by county. You can also use the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s website to search by zip code.

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• GBA’s assistance is considered a secondary mortgage. 

• Some primary mortgage lenders do not allow for GBA’s homebuyers assistance to be used with their mortgage products. It is the responsibility of the homebuyer to confirm that our assistance can be used alongside their primary mortgage.​

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• The Maryland Mortgage Program offers a variety of programming to help first time homebuyers, including down payment assistance.​​

• Some banks/credit unions offer grants to their clients to help them purchase a home. Check with your bank/credit union to see if they offer any programming and whether you qualify.