City to offer assistance for qualifying first-time home buyers

Kettering is planning to use grant money to help first-time home-buyers with their down payments.

Tom Robillard is the director of planning and development for Kettering. He said eligible residents looking to purchase a home for the first time can have assistance not only with the down payment but the whole moving process.

“It makes it easier for them to move in, makes (it) easier to make the necessary improvements that they might have when they first purchase their home,” Robillard said.

He said the program isn’t designed for a specific area of Kettering but for specific residents.

>> EF1 tornado hit Warren, Clinton counties, NWS says

“You have to be income eligible, which is 60 percent or less of the area median income,” Robillard said.

He said there are additional criteria based on the number of people in your household.

He added he hopes to continue these programs as money comes in from the community development block grant.

“We can use those for multiple different purposes, but primarily to assist low and moderate-income families in Kettering,” Robillard said.

At this time, the city doesn’t have the funds available for the Downpayment and Closing Cost Assistance.

“We hope to offer this program later this year and will keep our website and the press updated with any developments. Thank you for your understanding and patience,” a city spokesperson told News Center 7 on Thursday.