As Carol Brito walks around her Linden Street home, every room is a source of pride for her.
Although she said the kitchen floor needs to be replaced and the walls need painting, Brito couldn't be happier with her new purchase.
Brito and her 14-year-old daughter, Allie, moved from an East Lansing townhouse to their new home in November with the help of the East Lansing Housing and Neighborhood Services Inc. and the Homeownership Opportunity Assistance Program.
The program is a nonprofit organization that works to help low- to moderate-income families move into East Lansing homes through down-payment assistance.
"Every night, I looked for homes," Brito said. "I'm a bargain hunter. I knew something was out there that fit into our price range."
One night in September, Brito said she saw a "for sale" sign in front of the Linden house and made the offer that day.
"I wouldn't have been able to buy a house without this program," Brito said. "It's the pride of ownership."
As a real estate agent in Lansing, Brito learned of the program years ago but said she didn't want a house at that point in her life. Now she can rattle off the benefits: Allie's school is close by and her friends live on the block, and they have more space, including a home office they had always wanted.
The program, funded by federal grants, allows eligible families to receive loans as long as they remain in the low- to moderate-income category. If a family stays in the home for seven years, only half the loan must be paid back, said Jim Cassidy, chairman of East Lansing Housing and Neighborhood Services Inc. The full loan must be repaid if the family stays in the house less than seven years.
Since the program launched in 1991, 56 families have benefited and have bought homes in East Lansing. Seven of the families moved in during the past year.
"We're on the right track with this group," East Lansing City Councilmember Beverly Baten said.
Having more families in East Lansing will help stabilize the schools, she said, while not increasing rental properties.
In some cases, the program converts rental houses into single-family homes for recipients.
"We definitely want to change the ratio of rental to families," Cassidy said. "However, that doesn't make us anti-rental."
The program does not go and buy out rental homes, Cassidy said. Houses are often sold to the program by landlords and owners of vacant homes.
Cassidy said the program does not threaten student rental housing, because most properties were not previously occupied by students.
"There's a wealth of student housing available; a lot of the things we're looking at are at the bottom end," he said.
One of the contributing factors to students leaving East Lansing when they graduate is the expensive property costs, Cassidy said, adding if young families are looking for starter homes, there are not many options nearby.
Families interested in the program first should contact East Lansing Housing and Neighborhood Services Inc. to find out if they meet the requirements of the program. They then can set up an appointment with a loan officer. With the papers signed, they can begin shopping for houses in designated neighborhoods.
City Councilmember and Mayor Pro Tem Sam Singh said the program makes it easier for families, especially those with school-age children, to afford living in East Lansing.
"This program helps level that playing field," he said.
At the Jan. 13 city council meeting, members of the council looked at expanding the program's funding by asking for more federal grants.
"It's very likely that we'll see some kind of increase in the future of their funds," Singh said.
