Greensboro announced the launch of the “Public Service Heroes Homebuyer Assistance” program this week.
This program was originally planned to cover first responders and was named “Community Heroes,” however, it was expanded to cover all Greensboro, Guilford County, Guilford County Schools, active duty military and military veterans who met the requirements but “Heroes” was kept in the name. Some councilmembers stated that anyone who worked for the city, county, schools or military was a “hero.”
The Public Service Heroes Homebuyer program is to assist moderate-income public sector workers in buying homes and those in the Public Service Heroes program may qualify for more public assistance than those with lower incomes who qualify for the city’s first-time homeowner assistance program.
In the Public Service Heroes program, those with an income between 81 percent and 120 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI) ($46,751 and $70,100) can qualify for up to $30,000 in no interest forgivable loans if the home is in a defined redevelopment or reinvestment area of the city.
The requirements include that the home must be in the city of Greensboro, be the applicant’s primary residence and the applicant can not own any other real estate.
For the city’s first-time homebuyer assistance program for those with incomes below 80 percent of the AMI, the maximum amount of the no interest forgivable loan from the city is $20,000. However, there is no requirement that the applicant be an employee of the city, county, schools or military.
For those in the 81 percent to 120 percent of AMI who buy homes in a redevelopment or reinvestment area but are not city, county or school employees, the city will provide up to $15,000 in a no interest forgivable loan.
With the launch of the Public Service Heroes Homebuyer Assistance program, Greensboro now has three programs to provide assistance to first time home buyers in the low- and moderate-income range.
Enjoy, you voted them in. You think your taxes will be reduced?
Another outrageous perquisite at taxpayer expense
Is the city serving as a mortgage banker on these loans or are they simply underwriting the loans? I guess with all the money that they are receiving from us taxpayers, it doesn’t really matter. A “hero” is someone who has risked his life saving others. That does not include city or county workers unless they have saved a life.
Confiscation and transfer of wealth.
More of the working taxpayer dollars being given away without any input from the working stiffs How many checks have any of the council members written for this purpose.
So only if you buy where they want you to…not exactly fair! So you buy in a sustandard area…the first year, your values do not go upside like other parts of town…you are losing money!
It doesn’t matter where you buy the home the giving away of tax money to the tune of $30,000+ to people, thousands of people, to purchase a home isn’t fair, right, and I suspect legal. This is outrageous. The owners aren’t losing money, the taxpayers are being robbed at gunpoint because if you don’t pay your taxes in protest the police eventually will come and arrest you and confiscate your stuff with guns. This is the kind of government our Founding Fathers fought to free us from. They would be so disappointed.
Ultimately, this is the reason for the 2nd Amendment. But the govt is handing out free goodies to everyone, especially the faithful. So who will give all this up for freedom from tyranny?
Sounds like we need a reduction in taxes! When there is enough spare money available to give employees a $30,000 gift things are out of control.
And “THEY” take care of “THEIR” own!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ONLY!!!
Greensboro voters ,when will you LEARN that the city council DEMOCRATS are not looking after your best interests. They are only interested in staying the city council until they DIE. The next thing is to keep increasing your tax and tax base year after year. As long as there are no one on this board to call their hand on wasteful spending, this problem will grow and grow . The only way to stop it is to vote all the board and the mayor out of office and get conservatives on the board who will look after you. You had one conservative on the board who did what he could to hold down spending but being one in a group of Democrats means you cannot stop this mess . Just look at the commissioners, how we have pledged 1.3 Billion’ dollars to Schools in the county. Over three years the only thing they have done with that money is to look at us and Refurbish the central office. While most of the schools do not have proper heating and cooling. Why aren’t the commissioners concerned about the schools being fixed and all things repaired with the amount of money they have thrown at them.
Who are the contractors that will build these houses for the city that meets the criteria that the council agreed to .Is this contractor offering a sweetheart deal that he build these houses to shoddy standards and charge the people prime pricing. Just more Corruption carried out by our wonderful city council. Why not give the taxpayers of the city the break they need. A good start would be $4000 each . But NO you don’t benefit the ones paying the bills, you favor your friends and coworkers . Vote those Dems out of office, get someone who knows how to balance a checkbook/budget.
This is as infuriating as it was the two other times it was proposed. Obviously they don’t know what to do with the additional revenue they are receiving with our increased taxes. This city council should be run out of town on a rail!
As if the mutual admiration society of public sector “workers” who forever sing their own praises were not enough, now they get to line their pockets with even more of our money – without working at all for it.
THE GREED OF THE PARASITIC SECTOR IS NAUSEATING.
This program is ridiculous & discriminatory (due to the limited recipient scope). It will not help make housing in the area more affordable for non-public sector employees.
It is not even socialism as not everyone is receiving a benefit.