A Louisville family is celebrating a major milestone after becoming the first to purchase a home through a new program designed to make homeownership more affordable. De’Coriyanna Garrett and her family were honored by city leaders, Delta Dental of Kentucky, and community partners for being the first homeowners through the Delta Home Down Payment Assistance Program.

Program Details

The Delta Home Down Payment Assistance Program helps eligible participants in Louisville Metro’s Healthy Start initiative overcome one of the biggest barriers to buying a home by providing up to $25,000 in fully forgivable down payment assistance for homes valued at up to $260,000. The initiative is a partnership between Louisville Metro Public Health and Wellness, the Office of Financial Empowerment, the Office of Housing and Community Development, and Delta Dental of Kentucky.

For Garrett, owning a home is something she once thought was out of reach. ‘It became real because it was always a dream for me. But it’s now my reality,’ Garrett said. Mayor Craig Greenberg marked the occasion by declaring the day ‘De’Coriyanna Garrett’s New Home Day’ across Louisville.

Garrett spent months preparing for the purchase by completing homebuyer education and counseling. She also overcame significant personal challenges along the way, including growing up in and out of the foster care system and being a teen mom. Now, she says her family finally has the stability they have always wanted. ‘It means having a home that’s ours that we will always have forever,’ Garrett said.

Program Eligibility

Applications for the Delta Home Down Payment Assistance Program are available through Louisville Metro’s Healthy Start initiative. At least 20 families have already applied for the program, which aims to make homeownership more affordable for eligible participants.

Original reporting: WLKY Louisville — read the source article.