Washington Initiative to Support Homeownership (WISH)
It's no wonder owning a home is often called the American Dream. For many people, owning a home represents the stability, independence, and freedom of reaching adulthood. While that perception may change to some degree as more people wait longer to buy homes, it is still considered a significant milestone, and we at the Washington Housing Authority would like to help make that dream a reality.
How? You may ask. The Washington Housing Authority has initiated several programs that fall under the Washington Initiative Supporting Homeownership (WISH) program umbrella. The sole mission of this initiative is to assist and guide residents and program participants in their journey of achieving their dream of homeownership. With the guidance of our Family Self Sufficiency (FSS) Coordinator and the Resident Opportunity and Self-Sufficiency (ROSS) Coordinator, they can assist participants with credit repair, banking, and obtaining down payment assistance.
Please click here for the Homeownership Application.
The WHA provides current Housing Choice Voucher families the opportunity to use their voucher to buy a home and receive monthly assistance in meeting homeownership expenses. If a family meets the criteria below, the rental voucher can be changed to a homeownership voucher.
- The head of household must currently be an active HCV participant and must have been leased up using the voucher for at least one year.
- The voucher family must currently comply with all HCV program requirements and must be a family in good standing.
- The head of household and spouse must have maintained full-time continuous employment for at least one year.
- There are minimum total gross income requirements. This does not include the value of the voucher.
- Total annual household income cannot be derived from any form of welfare unless it is for an elderly and or disabled person.
- The head of household agrees to satisfactorily complete Homebuyer Education classes and any additional education requirements necessary as determined by the WHA.
- Upon successful completion of the instruction and education sections of the program, the family will be referred to an approved NCHFA lender to be pre-qualified for down payment assistance and an affordable home loan.
Homeownership is a pillar of wealth building; it remains a critical way to build a source of wealth that can be passed down to future generations.