Federal Housing Assistance

The Federal Government has developed several programs to assist low- to middle-income families in their search for affordable housing. You will find that many such federal programs have field offices and contacts here in New Jersey. As with state assisted programs, housing assistance made available through the federal budget may change, depending upon funding and reorganization. The information provided was obtained directly through federal agency websites and publications.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

Two Regional Offices:
Newark (973) 622-7900
Camden (856) 757-5081

Local HUD Home-buying Program Contacts in New Jersey:

Statewide
NJ Department of Community Affairs (609) 292-6420

Atlantic County
Office of Community Development (609) 347-5373

Bergen County
Bergen County Community Development Office (201) 336-7200

Burlington County
County of Burlington 1st Time Homebuyer's Program (609) 265-5072

Camden County
Bureau of Grants Management (856) 968-6423
Department of Community Development (856) 374-6333
Housing & Economic Opportunities of South Jersey (856) 964-6887

Essex County
Department of Neighborhood Housing & Revitalization (973) 266-5143
Community Urban Renewal Enterprises (CURE) (201) 217-0855
Division of Housing and Community Development (973)395-8450

Gloucester County
Gloucester County Department of Economic Development (856) 384-6970

Hudson County
Hudson County Housing Resource Center (201) 795-5615
Division of Community Development (201) 795-6186
Jersey City Division of Community Development (201) 547-6910

Mercer County
Housing & Community Development (609) 989-6959
Trenton City Home Corporation, Inc. (609) 989-3504

Middlesex County
Housing Development Corporation (732) 826-1519
Middlesex County Department of Housing & Community Development (732) 745-3519
New Brunswick Office of Community Development (732) 745-5120

Monmouth County
Asbury Park Community Development Program (732) 502-5730
Long Branch Community Assistance Program (732) 571-5688
Monmouth County Community Development (732) 431-7490

Morris County
The Housing Partnership for Morris County (973) 659-9222

Ocean County
Department of Planning (732) 929-2054
O.C.E.A.N., Inc. (732) 244-2351

Passaic County
Passaic Affordable Housing Corporation (973) 365-6753
Paterson Department of Community Development (973) 321-1214

Somerset County
Coalition on Affordable Housing (908) 704-8901
CDC Properties (732) 247-0444

Tri-County Program (856) 451-6330

Union County
Elizabeth Home Improvement Program (908) 352-8450
Union County Department of Economic Development (908) 527-4057
Community Access (908) 354-3040

HUD Single-Family Housing Programs

Unless otherwise specified, further information regarding the following programs can be obtained by calling (800) CALL-FHA:

Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards (800) 927-2891
Mortgage Insurance for One- to Four-Family Homes (800) 211-0621
Insurance for Adjustable Rate Mortgages
Single-Family Mortgage Insurance for Disaster Victims
Single-Family Mortgage Insurance for Outlying Areas
Mortgage Insurance for Low/Mod Income Buyers
Graduated Payment Mortgage Insurance
Growing Equity Mortgage Insurance
Mortgage Insurance for Members of the Armed Forces (800) HOME-4US
Mortgage Insurance for Older, Declining Areas
Rehabilitation Mortgage Insurance - Contact the Director of Single Housing at nearest HUD field office
Energy Efficient Mortgages Program - Contact the Director of Single Housing at nearest HUD field office
Single-Family Cooperative Mortgage Insurance
Home Equity Conversion Mortgage Program (888) 466-3487
Mortgage Insurance for Condominium Units
Mortgage Insurance for the Construction or Rehabilitation of Condominium Projects (202) 708-2121
Manufactured Home Loan Insurance (800) 767-7468
Manufactured Home Lot and Combination Loan Insurance (800) 767-7468

Good Neighbor Next Door Program: Under this program, full-time, sworn law enforcement officers, pre-kindergarten through 12th grade teachers, firefighters and emergency medical technicians are able to purchase HUD homes in revitalization areas at a 50 percent discounted price. Additional information is available via the help line at (800) CALL- FHA.

U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA)

More than 29 million veterans and service personnel are eligible for VA financing. VA guaranteed home loans benefit veterans because they do not need to make a down payment and there is no upper limit or required cap on the income of the borrower. Without a down payment as security against foreclosure, lenders receive a certificate of guaranty from VA. In essence, as gratitude for honorable military service, the government is vouching for the veteran's trustworthiness to repay his/her debt. Five easy steps to obtain a VA loan are as follows:

1. Apply for a Certificate of Eligibility.
A veteran who doesn't have a certificate can obtain one easily by completing VA Form 26-1880, Request for a Certificate of Eligibility for VA Home Loan Benefits. In addition to the completed form, copies of your most recent discharge or separation papers covering active military duty since September 16, 1940 (which show active duty dates and type of discharge) must be submitted to:

Call their toll free number, (888) 244-6711, if you have any questions.

2. Decide on a home to buy and sign a purchase agreement.

3. Order an appraisal from VA. (Usually this is done by the lender.)
Most VA regional offices offer a "speed-up" telephone appraisal system. Contact the Newark Regional VA office at (800) 827-1000.

4. Apply to a mortgage lender for the loan. While the appraisal is being done, the lender (mortgage company, savings and loan, bank, etc.) can be gathering credit and income information. If the lender is authorized by VA to do automatic processing, upon receipt of the VA or LAPP appraised value determination, the loan can be approved and closed without waiting for VA's review of the credit application. For loans that must first be approved by VA, the lender will send the application to the local VA office, which will notify the lender of its decision.

5. Close the loan and move in.
To determine eligibility, a military veteran, active duty person, or a member of the national guard or selected reserves, must submit a VA Form 26-1880 along with proof of service (DD Form 214, a statement of active duty, or proof of participation in the National Guard or reserves) to the:

VA Eligibility Center
P.O. Box 20729
Winston-Salem, NC 27120

Based on the applicant's length and type of service, VA issues a certificate for each person determined eligible to apply for a VA guaranteed home loan. Check the status after ten days at (888) 244-6711 between 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. VA Lenders in New Jersey may be found by calling the Newark VA Regional Office at (800) 729-5772.

U.S. Department of Agriculture

The Rural Housing Service (RHS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Located within the Department's Rural Development mission area, RHS operates a broad range of programs to provide:

• Homeownership options to individuals
• Housing rehabilitation and preservation funding;
• Rental assistance to tenants of RHS-funded multi-family housing complexes;
• Farm labor housing; and
• Help to developers of multi-family housing projects, like assisted housing for the elderly and disabled, or apartment buildings.

The following programs are available for single-family housing through the RHS:

• Direct Loan Program
• Loan Guarantee Program
• Mutual Self-Help Housing Program
• Home Repair and Preservation
• Direct Loan & Grant Income Limits
• Guaranteed Loan Income Limits
• Homes for Sale

The Service also funds a rental assistance program for multi-family housing. RHS programs are available to eligible applicants in rural areas, typically defined as open country or rural towns with no more than 20,000 in population.

The NJ State Office of Rural Development (USDA) may be contacted at (856) 787-7700. Following is a directory of New Jersey Rural Development Field Offices:

Hackettstown Local Office (serving Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union, and Warren Counties)
(908) 852-2576, Ext. 4

Columbus Local Office (serving Burlington, Mercer, and Middlesex, Monmouth, and Ocean Counties)
609) 267-1639, Ext. 4

Vineland Local Office (serving Atlantic, Cape May, and Cumberland Counties)
(856) 205-1225, Ext. 4

Cape May Information Center (serving Cape May County)
(609) 463-5917

Woodstown Local Office (serving Camden, Gloucester, and Salem Counties)
(856) 769-1126