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for employers

For Employers

A Benefit Employees Value

As employers search for ways to compete and succeed in today’s dynamic marketplace, Employer Assisted Housing (EAH) is a benefit many are considering. EAH plans are gaining in popularity because they make a company or employer stand out from the crowd, enhance recruitment efforts, and reduce rates of turnover among employees. National employee surveys indicate a housing benefit to be among the most preferred benefit options of employees, ranking third behind health care and retirement programs.

The Hometown Home Loan Program

The Hometown Home Loan Program is one of the longest running employer-assisted housing programs in the nation and has been helping employees become homeowners since 1994. It has received local and national awards as well as attention from the media and leading housing industry professionals which continuously strengthen the reputation and success of the program.  This program is made possible by a partnership between the employers who adopt the program and housing professionals like Fannie Mae, the AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust, local nonprofit partners such as the Washington State Housing Finance Commission and the Portland Housing Center, as well as many municipal organizations.

Overcoming barriers to homeownership

Adopting the Hometown Home Loan Program can help your employees overcome many of the traditional barriers to homeownership.  According to research conducted by the Washington Homeownership Center, the top 3 perceived obstacles to homeownership are:

  1. Having enough money for down payment and closing costs
  2. Finding an affordable house with the right amenities
  3. Not knowing how to get started buying a home

Hometown Program at a glance

The Hometown Home Loan Program is a no-cost benefit that is valuable to both the employer and the individual employees:

  • Reduced closing costs
  • Free, onsite homeownership education
  • Flexible loan programs and down payment assistance programs
  • Bank at Work and additional savings on home insurance
  • Experienced staff to help you facilitate outreach
  • Monthly reports

Total Closed Loans: 6500
Total Hometown Savings: $7,760,379
First-time Homebuyers helped: 3011
Total Down Payment Assistance: $10,100,301

* Based on closed loans from 1996-2006

Learn more about the history of the program.
Learn more about Hometown Resources.

How do I get started?

If you are an employer or membership organization, learn how you can offer the Hometown Home Loan Program to your employees or members.

If you are a real estate agent, escrow agent, home inspector, or other service provider, contact us to learn how you can participate in the Hometown Home Loan Program

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