Affordable Housing Development and First Time Homebuyer Programs
To apply or register for programs provided through CAI Housing Development please contact:
Richard Lynch, Deputy Director of Asset Development
Community Action, Inc.
3 Washington Square, 4th Floor
Haverhill, MA 01830
978-373-1971 ext. 225
Program Services
CAI Housing Development office administers several programs, including:
First Time Homebuyer Education
The RAFT Program
Affordable Housing Development
Affordable Housing Lotteries
Downpayment and Closing Cost Assistance
CAI Housing Development is located at 3 Washington Square, 4th Floor in Haverhill, MA. 978-373-1971 ext. 225
The RAFT Program
The RAFT Program is a homelessness prevention program funded by the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). RAFT provides short-term financial assistance to low-income families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
The RAFT program helps keep households in stable housing situations when facing eviction, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies. RAFT can provide up to $10,000 per household within a 12-month period to help preserve current housing or move to new housing.
First Time Homebuyer Program
First Time Homebuyer Education classes are offered to area residents interested in learning how to purchase their first home. The classes are offered over three nights and a total of nine hours. The program is certified by the Massachusetts Citizens Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA) and Mass Housing. It includes training on a variety of topics related to home ownership including:
- obtaining a mortgage
- budgeting and credit
- housing search and appraisals
- condominium purchase
- legal issues and insurance
- housing law and tax advantages
- home inspection
*Residents who receive FTHB Certification may be eligible for special financing programs and housing lotteries.
Register Here
What is the eligibility and service area?
Eligibility and service areas vary based on program/service.
Most CAI Housing Development programs serve the Greater Haverhill, Massachusetts area. The First Time Homebuyer program is available to Massachusetts residents state-wide.
AFT, funded by DHCD, provides short-term financial assistance to families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Eligible uses include moving cost assistance, rent and utility arrears, rental stipends or utility bills. Payments are capped at $4,000 within a 12-month period – longer if the recipient is in subsidized housing. The family must prove an emergency that caused a financial problem; have income at or under 50% of area median income; and have sufficient income to avoid homelessness going forward.
RAFT is administered by Community Teamwork, Inc. (CTI), 17 Kirk St., Lowell, MA 01852, 978-459-0551. The first step in applying is to attend an informational meeting. These are held Thursdays at Community Action, Inc., 3 Washington Square in Haverhill, 978-373-1971, at 8:30 am; daily at CTI at noon; and Tuesdays (9 am in English, 10:30 am in Spanish) at Greater Lawrence Community Action Council (GLCAC), 305 Essex St., Lawrence, MA 01840, 978-681-4900. An intake meeting can be scheduled afterward for those who might be eligible.
What is the State and Municipal Affordable Housing Lottery?
Administer affordable housing lotteries for state and local purchase housing programs including 40b comprehensive permit projects, over 55 communities and City of Haverhill housing ordinance. Projects completed to date include: 11 units at Meadow Brook Estates in Haverhill, 2 units at Moseley Village and 2 units at Ocean View in Newburyport.
Under Haverhill Local Housing ordinance, units include; 1 unit on River St.,1 unit on Locust St., 2 units at Riverside Place on Washington St. in Haverhill, and 4 units located on the Fairways, an over 55 years of age community located near the Haverhill Country Club.
Income requirements vary for each lottery and the service area where the units are built. Income limits generally range from 50% to 80% of area median for a family of four. Lottery winners may often be eligible for down payment assistance programs. This program serves the Greater Haverhill, Massachusetts area.
EFSP – Amesbury, Salisbury, Merrimac, Newbury, Newburyport, and West Newbury
The CAI Amesbury Center provides the Emergency Food, Shelter, Rent Assistance Program (EFSP), a federally funded financial assistance program designed to provide emergency support to individuals and families having difficulty keeping up with rent and mortgage. Funds are available on a limited basis and are allocated on a first come-first serve basis after completing a client intake process and determining eligibility. Eligibility for this program includes having sustainable income. This program serves Amesbury, Salisbury, Merrimac, Newbury, Newburyport, and West Newbury, Massachusetts.