Governor Katie Hobbs Expands Homeownership Opportunities for Arizonans

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Arizona Is Home program to double number of first-time homebuyers, unlocking Arizona Promise for more working families
Phoenix, AZ – Today, Governor Katie Hobbs and the Arizona Department of Housing (ADOH) announced the expansion of Arizona Is Home, a signature initiative to increase homeownership across the state. The program provides enhanced down payment assistance and mortgage interest rate relief to qualifying low-to-middle income first-time homebuyers. Arizona Is Home has already helped more than 500 homebuyers across the state close on a home, and the expansion will bring that number to around 1,000. A new video highlights the impact of Arizona Is Home on families to date and shares how more Arizonans can benefit.

"By putting homeownership within reach, we're helping working families unlock the Arizona Promise and build their future right here in Arizona," said Governor Katie Hobbs. "Through Arizona Is Home, we've turned the dream of owning a home into a reality for hundreds of Arizonans, and now even more Arizonans will have that same opportunity."

A collaboration between the Governor's Office and ADOH, Arizona Is Home was launched in 2024 and funded with $13 million. This expansion invests another $5 million in the program, from federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars, bringing the total investment to $18 million. Homebuyer assistance for the next phase of the program is being facilitated through partnerships between ADOH and Arizona's Industrial Development Authorities: Pima IDA, Tucson IDA, Maricopa IDA, Phoenix IDA, and Arizona IDA.

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"Our mission at ADOH is to make homeownership available to the most Arizonans possible and ensure no one is priced out of our state," said ADOH Director Ruby Dhillon-Williams.

The funds can be used for a down payment and closing costs related to the purchase of a home. First-time homebuyers in Pima County/Tucson who are at or below 120% Area Median Income (AMI) are eligible to receive up to $9,000 and first-time homebuyers in Maricopa County/Phoenix who meet the same threshold are eligible to receive between 3% and 7% of the home's purchase price. Down payment assistance is paired with competitive, federally available mortgage interest rates available to first-time homebuyers.

"The Phoenix IDA is proud to collaborate with the Arizona Department of Housing and the Maricopa IDA to expand access to homeownership in the city of Phoenix," said Juan Salgado, CEO of the Phoenix IDA. "For many, owning a home can feel out of reach, and we're honored to play a role in making that goal more attainable."

"Maricopa County IDA, jointly with the Phoenix IDA, is pleased to be partnering with the Governor and ADOH to continue providing affordable, single-family housing financing options to the community," said Julie Arvo MacKenzie, General Counsel for the Maricopa County IDA. "Down payment assistance is vital for first time homebuyers. The funds awarded to the IDAs through the Arizona Is Home program will allow the IDAs to offer down payment assistance in the form of 7-year, forgivable second mortgage loans through its existing Home in Five Advantage program."

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"Thanks to Governor Hobbs' unwavering commitment to expanding homeownership opportunities across southern Arizona, the IDAs of the City of Tucson and Pima County are proud to partner with the Arizona Department of Housing on this exciting new chapter," said Nicole Johnson, Business Development & Housing Program Manager for the Tucson IDA. "For over a decade, the IDAs have provided continuous down payment assistance to homebuyers in our region through the Housing Innovation Hub suite of programming. Pairing Arizona Is Home down payment assistance with our nationally recognized PTHS Advantage programming builds on that legacy, now allowing us to pair assistance with some of the most affordable interest rates on the market today. This enhancement couldn't come at a more critical time for the families we serve."

"On behalf of the Pima County IDA, and building on our history of benefitting homebuyers and affordable housing in Pima County, we are pleased to partner with the Governor, ADOH, and the Tucson IDA by pairing our Pima Tucson Homebuyers Solutions Program with the Arizona Is Home Program to increase homebuyer opportunities in Pima County through increased downpayment assistance," said Diane Quihuis, President of the Pima County IDA. "We look forward to the success of the Arizona Is Home program in Pima County."

"Since its inception in 2024, the Arizona IDA has been actively involved with the Arizona Is Home program," said Dirk Swift, Arizona IDA Executive Director. "To date we have provided down payment assistance and below market interest rates to hundreds of new homeowners throughout rural Arizona."

Prospective homebuyers can find more information here.

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