Baldwin County is launching a new program to help income-qualified residents affected by hurricanes Sally and Zeta achieve safe and stable homeownership.

The Baldwin County Commission announced during its Aug. 18 meeting that applications for the Homeownership Assistance Program will open Sept. 21. The application portal will be available on the county's website at www.baldwincountyal.gov/departments/grants/cdbg-dr/hap on the launch date.

The Homeownership Assistance Program, or HAP, is part of the county's ongoing recovery and resiliency efforts following the 2020 hurricanes. The program is intended to make homeownership more attainable for eligible residents while supporting long-term housing stability and helping families remain in or return to the communities they call home.

Baldwin County is partnering with Family Promise of Baldwin County to administer the program. Family Promise will work directly with participating homebuyers, providing guidance, education and support throughout the application and homebuying process.

The county also will host two public meetings to help residents and community partners learn about the program and receive assistance with submitting applications.

The meetings are scheduled for:

Tuesday, Sept. 15, at 5 p.m. at the Baldwin County Foley Satellite Courthouse, Large Meeting Hall, 201 E. Section Ave., Foley.
Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 10 a.m. at the Baldwin County Fairhope Satellite Courthouse, County Commission Chambers, 1100 Fairhope Ave., Fairhope.

HAP assistance may include down payment assistance of up to 20%, interest rate buy-downs and principal write-downs. Eligible assistance also may cover closing costs, inspections, appraisals, surveys and legal services, as well as initial home warranty premiums.

The program also includes homebuyer counseling and case management.

Households earning 80% or less of the Area Median Income may be eligible if they meet at least one of the program's qualifying criteria. Eligible residents include Baldwin County residents who lived in the county during hurricanes Sally and Zeta and remained in the county, former residents who relocated after the storms and wish to return and individuals who were in the process of purchasing a storm-impacted home when the disaster occurred.

The funding for the program stems from federal disaster recovery assistance. The State of Alabama was awarded Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to support recovery from the 2020 hurricanes Sally and Zeta.

As part of the state's damage and needs assessment, Baldwin County was identified as a most impacted and distressed area and was awarded funding through the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs' CDBG-DR Action Plan.

Residents interested in the program can learn more about eligibility requirements and begin the application process at www.baldwincountyal.gov/departments/grants/cdbg-dr/hap. For additional information, residents can email or call Family Promise of Baldwin County.