Owning your own home. It’s the American dream. A dream that so many think is out of their reach.

For some, NRHA’s Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Home Ownership Program can help make the dream a reality. One of the main requirements to qualify for the HCV Home Ownership program is that you must be a current Housing Choice Voucher holder, been subsidized for a year and be in good standings with the Housing Authority.

Jennifer Hiler and her family, Mark, Cyrus, Jace and Henry are experiencing the joys of home ownership with the help of the Housing Choice Voucher Home Ownership Program. We met with Jennifer and asked some questions about her experience. Here is what she had to say.

NRHA: How do you feel about being a home owner?

JH: It’s a drastic change, I feel like it’s somewhere that I belong now, It’s wonderful!

NRHA: How did NRHA help you?

JH: Without you guys I wouldn’t have been able to qualify for the loan. You motivated me to change my credit and move in the right direction.

NRHA: Did you ever think that Home ownership was an achievable goal before this program?

JH: No, not at all

NRHA: What is the most rewarding part about owning your own home?

JH: I get to decorate, paint, plant plants and just personalize it.

NRHA: What is the most difficult part of owning your own home?

JH: The stress, being on top of your credit and the financial stress. The responsibility is yours and that is a responsibility I’ve never had before.

NRHA: Are there any additional comments you have?

JH: I give you my thanks and am very appreciative of this program. It has changed things for us.

Once approved by NRHA, we help prospective buyers with all the details of purchasing a home such as locating a lender, obtaining credit scores, reviewing the purchase agreements etc. There are so many details that most people don’t think of and it is our job to ensure that all the bases are covered and each detail is handled.

If you are not a HCV program participant and struggle to make ends meet and pay your rent, you may want to consider enrolling in the NRHA HCV program. We can not only help you with purchasing a home of your own some day, but we can assist you and your family with paying your rent today. In order to enroll, you will need to complete an application, which can be found by clicking here.

Some of the questions to ask yourself to determine if you are ready for home ownership are:

• Do you have a steady, reliable source of income and a steady employment history for at least three years?
• Do you have a good credit history and understand how to manage your credit?
• Is your total debt manageable? Can you pay all your bills on time and still afford to take on the costs associated with homeownership?
• Can you save money for a down payment and closing costs or do you have access to other sources of funds, such as an employment bonus, tax refund, gift from a relative or down payment assistance program?
• Do you have adequate savings to weather an unexpected loss of income or an emergency?

  And last but not least, to qualify for the Housing Choice Voucher Home Ownership program:

• Have you been on the HCV program for at least one year and are in good standings with NRHA?

If you answered yes to all of these questions you could be headed down the path to home ownership.