Author: Jessica Lawson

The Prince George’s County’s home ownership assistance program, “Pathway to Purchase,” has issued new guidelines for eligible first-time home buyers. The program now offers up to $25,000 in down payment and closing cost assistance toward the purchase of a home. Home buyers can purchase a home anywhere in Prince George’s County. Eligible residential properties include new construction, resales, and foreclosures. 

Pathway to Purchase is a 0% interest loan program that must be paid back when the home is sold, transferred, or ceases to be the primary residence of the buyer(s). However, if the home buyer resides in the home for 10 years, the loan is forgiven, and the lien is released.

This year, the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has partnered with the State of Maryland’s Mortgage Program and eligible home buyers can receive an additional $6,000 toward the down payment and closing cost. Additionally, if the home buyer participates in the State’s Partner Match, they can receive a dollar-to-dollar match of up to $2,500.

“This important partnership with MD-DHCD and the private sector allows us to meaningfully address affordable homeownership,” said Aspasia Xypolia, Director of the Prince George’s County Department of Housing and Community Development. “This dedicated funding will help people get on the path to home ownership. We are eager to continue our progress in helping families begin their pursuit of the American Dream.” 

The maximum price for homes purchased with Pathway to Purchase assistance is $432,000 for re-sale homes and $467,000 for new construction. The home must pass a Housing Quality Standards (HQS) Inspection as part of the application process. The Redevelopment Authority of Prince George’s County administers the program. Home buyers must work with an approved mortgage lender to submit an application. More information can be found on the Pathway to Purchase website.

County has approximately $10 million to deploy for eviction prevention, rental and utility assistance; tenants under 50% AMI no longer need court documentation.

The Prince George’s County Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) continues to accept tenant and landlord ERAP applications for eviction prevention. The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) strongly encourages landlords to file for ERAP assistance on behalf of the tenant household prior to initiating a court-filed eviction process against the household for failure to pay rent or tenant holding over.

Tenant households with total household income at or below 50% of the Area Median Income (AMI), will not be required to provide court-filed eviction documents. Tenant households at or between 51 to 80% AMI, will be required to submit at least an eviction court summons and/or a court judgment, along with their ERAP application. In accordance with U.S. Treasury guidelines, DHCD will prioritize ERAP applicants at extremely low and very low-income levels, as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Please note that DHCD will review and validate all household income information. Any attempts to withhold household income will delay the review of an ERAP tenant application.

The submission of an application does not guarantee approval for ERAP assistance. All applications are carefully reviewed and subject to federal eligibility requirements. Applications are also subject to the availability of funding at the time of processing. Further, if a tenant or a member of the tenant household has received prior ERAP assistance, whether through the County or other organization, provision of ERAP assistance cannot exceed a total of 18 months.

To date, DHCD has assisted over 11,000 households, deploying over $108 million in ERAP rent and utility assistance payments to landlords on behalf of their respective tenant households since March 2021. These payments have enabled tenants to stay housed while assisting landlords in receiving property income.

Calls and questions can be made to the ERAP Call Center via phone at 301-883-6504 (option 9). Residents can find more information, including a list of non-profit organizations that can assist with completing and submitting an ERAP application, the chart for AMI income levels, and videos on how to complete an application on the DHCD ERAP webpage. Landlords and tenants can apply via the ERAP Application Portal.

There are several ways to file an application for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. You may file an application online at myMDTHINK. Additionally, local departments of social services will give or mail you an SNAP application on the same day you ask for one. You may ask for it in person, over the phone, by mail, or someone else may get one for you. You also have the option to download a SNAP application.

For more information: Department of Human Services