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Brooke County hears presentation on HOME down-payment assistance
Summary
Change Inc. presented Northern Panhandle HOME Consortium first-time homebuyer assistance data, noting the program provides up to $10,000 per household and citing $293,744.16 as the 2025 allocation used for 2026 planning.
Joy Reese, Housing Counseling Program Manager for CHANGE Inc., briefed the Brooke County Commission on the Northern Panhandle HOME Consortium (NPHC) first-time homebuyer (FTHB) assistance program at the Feb. 27 meeting.
Reese said the consortium, which administers down-payment and closing-cost assistance for Brooke, Hancock and the City of Weirton, used the 2025 allocation of $293,744.16 for 2026 planning. The FTHB program provides up to $10,000 in assistance per eligible household to low- and moderate-income first-time homebuyers. Reese reported that, using the 2025 figures, CHANGE Inc. assisted with five purchases in the City of Weirton in 2025 with $46,709 disbursed; Hancock County received $1,252,121 total with five purchases and $49,101 disbursed in 2025; and Brooke County has received $1,363,923 total with six purchases and $58,702 disbursed in 2025.
At the consortium level, Reese said the NPHC has leveraged $66,142,528 in mortgage funds and that total FTHB loans since October 2025 number 1,151 families, with $10,292,708 disbursed. Reese also noted that the NPHC does not have a finalized 2026 budget yet and that local administrators must hold public hearings in each jurisdiction to gather public comment on housing needs and planned use of HOME funds.
The presentation provided county-level disbursement totals and program history; commissioners did not take a separate motion on the presentation itself. The meeting record shows the presentation was provided for informational and planning purposes as the consortium finalizes its 2026 allocation and priorities.
