The Program seeks to incentivize the public or private critical recovery workforce sectors authorized to and currently exercising their profession in Puerto Rico. Critical Recovery Workforce (CRW) professions  include, but are  not limited to:

Law Enforcement:

Law enforcement officers employed by a federal, state or municipal law enforcement entity in Puerto Rico; and, in carrying out such employment, are sworn to uphold, and make arrests for violations of, federal, state, tribal, county, township, or municipal laws. Includes federal, state and municipal police officers; correctional officers under state or federal correctional departments, members of the Puerto Rico National Guard, and all branches of the U.S. Military Services.

Education:

Employees of a public or private educational institution in Puerto Rico, duly accredited, that provides direct services to students. This category includes pre-kindergarten through 12th grade teachers, university professors, librarians, counselors, social workers, and other related personnel who provide services within an educational environment in Puerto Rico.

Firefighters:

Employed as a firefighter by the Puerto Rico Fire Department (“Cuerpo de Bomberos de Puerto Rico”) that is properly trained and directly performs tasks aimed at guaranteeing the protection of citizens against fires, preventing and fighting fires, saving lives and determining the origin and cause of the fire. This definition includes firefighters who serve as inspectors.

Infrastructure:

Workers employed in addressing the needs of Puerto Rico’s critical infrastructure, such as maritime ports, airports, aqueducts and sewer, electricity, gas, telecommunications, roads, highway and transportation.

Atmospheric Surveillance:

Staff employed by a federal, state or local entity dedicated to monitoring atmospheric conditions.

Emergency Medical:

Personnel employed of a Puerto Rico emergency services unit (public or private accredited entity). Person authorized by the Puerto Rico Secretary of Health and who has received training in the phases of emergency medical technology, which includes, among others, communication, emergency patient care, maintenance of work equipment, techniques and procedures of the Emergency Room (ER), patient handling and transportation, knowledge of the procedures used in obstetrics and assistance in respiratory and cardiac emergencies.

Healthcare Professionals:

Employed medical professional duly admitted to practice in Puerto Rico (public or private accredited entity), in accordance with applicable laws and regulations; any of the professions in the field of health and medical care, such as, among others, doctors, surgeons, dentists, pharmacists, nurses and medical technologists, as authorized by the corresponding laws of Puerto Rico. Employed specialists in the area of social work, psychologists, psychiatrists, and counselors duly authorized to practice the profession who are dedicated to provide prevention, treatment and rehabilitation services in the area of mental health. This category includes, but is not limited to, professionals from the Mental Health and Addiction Services Administration (ASSMCA, by its Spanish acronym), and includes professionals from the private sector.

Supply Chain:

Employees engaged in the transportation and delivery of food, health equipment and products, and basic necessities.

Emergency Management:

Workers employed in the public or private management of emergency disasters in Puerto Rico and its posterior recovery work.

Veterinary / Animal Services:

Employed animal medical professional duly admitted to practice in Puerto Rico (public or private accredited entity), in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. Employees in registered organizations dedicated to services in benefit of animals, such as, among others, animal rescue.

Yes. To qualify for assistance under this Program, Applicants are required to attend and complete a Homebuyer Education course with a HUD-approved housing counseling agency. The Housing Counseling requirement must be fulfilled prior to closing. No CDBG-DR funds will be committed or disbursed until the housing counseling requirement has been fulfilled. For more information about the Housing Counseling Program, location and contact of our Counseling Agencies, please click here.

Interested Applicants may apply to the Homebuyer Assistance Program through a Participating Institution of their choice (to view the List of Participating Institutions, click here), PRHFA, or an authorized PRHFA representative.

During the first forty-five (45) calendar days of the application intake period, the Program will prioritize eligible households that contain CRW members. Priority Applicants who submit all documents required for eligibility review during this forty-five (45) calendar days period will be reviewed for eligibility prior to reviewing eligibility for nonpriority Applicants.

Homebuyers must purchase an existing market-listed home ready to move-in. Only single-family residential units located in Puerto Rico will be eligible for the Program. For the purposes of this Program, single-family homes may include a dwelling within a one- to two-unit structure. Single family units may include, but are not limited to:

• Duplexes;
• Manufactured Housing Units (MHU);
• Detached, stand-alone, concrete residential structures;
• Attached single family;
• Condominium Unit; and
• Cooperative Unit.

For this Program, PRHFA will allow Applicants to purchase homes which require minor and nonstructural repairs, provided the criteria is fulfilled as per Program Guidelines.

Yes. While homebuyers may choose to purchase homes anywhere in Puerto Rico, Program participants are encouraged to purchase Real Estate Owned (REO) properties.

The Program will provide grants of up to:

• a maximum of $45,000 per eligible Low and Moderate-Income and Urgent Need households; and
• a maximum of $55,000 per eligible Low and Moderate-Income and Urgent Need households for households with Critical Recovery Workforce members.

Eligible homebuyers that have selected to purchase a property located in an Urban Centers, as certified by PRDOH, may receive an additional five thousand dollars ($5,000) to be used towards the purchase price.

The Program has defined the urban centers for each municipality in Puerto Rico. The maps will be published and made available at, click here.

No, it does not. However, any assistance determined to be duplicative must be deducted from the Program’s calculation of the applicant’s total need prior to awarding assistance.

The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act), as amended, 42 U.S.C. § 5121 et seq., prohibits any person, business concern, or other entity from receiving Federal funds for any part of such loss as to which they have received financial assistance under any other program, from private insurance, charitable assistance, or any other source.

For this Program, PRHFA will allow Applicants to purchase homes which require minor and nonstructural repairs, provided the following criteria is fulfilled  as per Program Guidelines:

• Program funds will not be used towards repairs;
• Repairs and improvements are covered under the Applicant’s mortgage;
• The Program will only accept loan products that include minor and nonstructural repairs for properties; • The accepted loan products include, but are not limited to, the following:
  • Fannie Mae HomeStyle
  • FHA 203(K)
  • FHA 203(b) with Repairs Escrow (only for HUD REO Properties)
  • USDA Rural Development Repair Loan
  • VA Rehab Loan
  • TPO AFV
• The Program will only accept for HUD REO properties the portion of the loan allocated for repairs to be deposited in an escrow account or otherwise retained by the lender;
• The improvements are not classified as construction, structural alterations, cosmetic, or reconstructive;
• The Program does not allow a projected appraisal. Repairs are limited to those identified by the appraiser in the property’s Appraisal Report;
• The total rehabilitation cost must not exceed the thirty-five thousand dollars ($35,000) cap;
• The repairs must be performed within the period of time stipulated by loan products.
• For HUD REO Property Purchase a repair holdback will be accepted only if the repairs amount is financed as part of the loan.

No. The assistance will only be used towards a down payment on a new or existing home.

The living area must be built entirely out of concrete. In case the chosen property has a section made of wood or metal, it cannot be in a living area. These cases are evaluated by the Program on an individual basis.

No. Each applicant will need to search for a property that is qualified and ready to live through an independent search or with a real estate agent.

Yes. The applicant must notify the original selected participating institution of the interest of withdrawing the application from the Program. Once the Participating Institution carries out the withdrawal process, the applicant may search the List of Participating Institutions under the Program to select a new institution.

This list includes the group of lending institutions and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that currently participate in the Homebuyer Assistance Program (HBA). However, more lending institutions and non-governmental organizations could gradually join the Program. The Puerto Rico Department of Housing (PRDOH) – in collaboration with the Puerto Rico Housing Finance Authority (PRHFA) – will regularly update the list.  The institutions/organizations listed here do not have the PRDOH endorsement, nor their authorized representatives. If the participating institution of your choice is not on the list, you may evaluate applying to the Program through on the participating institutions.

Under the Homebuyer Assistance Program an affordability period exists, this the period of time the homebuyer is required to own and occupy the property as their primary residence which is tied to the amount of assistance provided. The borrower must occupy the property as the primary residence for five (5) years. This period begins on the closing date, when the Mortgage Deed and Restrictive Clauses are signed. If the terms and conditions of the second lien are violated, the PRHFA is entitled to recover all or part of the grant. The grant balance will be waived or reduced by twenty percent (20%) for each year of residency completed, no credit given for partial years completed.