Mobile Expands $20,000 Down Payment Assistance to Healthcare Workers and Teachers
Qualifying healthcare workers and certified teachers can now get up to $20,000 in down payment assistance from Mobile's expanded housing program.
Frontline healthcare workers and active certified teachers in Mobile can now receive up to $20,000 in down payment assistance when buying their first home, under an expansion the city announced fueled by American Rescue Plan dollars.
The city’s Down Payment Assistance Program previously offered qualifying first-time buyers up to $10,000, provided they met federal income requirements and planned to live in the home as their primary residence. Buyers putting a house on a formerly blighted property within Mobile city limits could qualify for even more.
Last year, Mobile extended assistance of up to $20,000 to employees of the Mobile Police Department and Mobile Fire-Rescue Department. The new round brings healthcare workers and teachers into that top tier using federal pandemic relief funding routed through the city.
The program is part of a broader affordable housing push under Mayor Sandy Stimpson’s administration with a goal of creating or preserving more than 1,000 affordable homes across Mobile by 2026.
Where the Money Comes From
The American Rescue Plan Act, signed into law in March 2021, sent $350 billion to state, local and tribal governments through the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. U.S. Treasury rules allow local governments to use that money to address the pandemic’s negative economic impacts, including assistance for housing.
