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Building Equity and Growth in Neighborhoods Program (BEGIN)

View current program documents and publications

Purpose

Reduce local regulatory barriers to affordable ownership housing, and provide downpayment assistance loans to qualifying first-time low- and moderate-income buyers of homes in BEGIN projects.

Assistance Type

Grants to cities, counties, or cities and counties to make deferred-payment second mortgage loans to qualified buyers of new homes, including manufactured homes on permanent foundations, in projects with affordability enhanced by local regulatory incentives or barrier reductions.

Terms

Grants to cities, counties, and cities and counties.

Loans by grant recipients at simple interest to qualifying homebuyers, not to exceed 20 percent of home sales price or $30,000, whichever is less. Note: the HCD BEGIN program does not loan directly to individuals.

Eligible Activities

Second mortgage loans for downpayment assistance to low- or moderate-income first-time homebuyers. Eligible homes must be newly constructed in projects facilitated by local regulatory incentives or barrier reductions, and may include manufactured homes.

Eligible Applicants

Cities, counties, and cities and counties.

Application Process

Applications will be invited through the issuance of Notices of Funding Availability (NOFAs).

Contact

(916) 327-3646

Program Publications

• BEGIN Program NOFA — $33 million
  • May 21, 2007 NOFA Closed
• BEGIN Guidelines
  • BEGIN Guidelines - 2007 – (Adobe PDF)