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Huntington Park outlines application, lottery and vetting for nine CalHome homes
Summary
City and developer staff described a CalHome program that will allocate nine affordable homes via a timed application window (March 9–20), a public livestreamed lottery on March 31 to select 16 candidates for vetting, and documentation and annual compliance checks before close of escrow in late July–August.
Huntington Park officials on a city council agenda presented details of a CalHome homeownership allocation that will make nine affordable homes available to first-time buyers.
Omar Hernandez of Global, the consultant overseeing applicant vetting, told the council the marketing launch began Feb. 6 and the formal inquiry intake will run March 9–20. Applications will be timestamped and the city will not accept late submissions, Hernandez said. A livestreamed lottery on March 31 will randomly select 16 applicants for full vetting; staff will then verify documents and confirm eligibility for the nine available homes.
Hernandez described the eligibility rules: applicants must meet Los Angeles County income limits for household size, be first-time buyers (no deed in the prior three years), be U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents and occupy the property as a principal residence. Homes include three- and four-bedroom units, with one ADA-compliant unit designated for households with a member with disabilities. The city-contracted down-payment assistance ($200,000 per household under CalHome rules) is structured to pair with a primary mortgage (Hernandez said home prices are expected to be “around the 600,000” range and buyers must qualify for the remainder of the purchase loan).
Council members asked whether the city or developers would steer borrowers to particular lenders and how staff would prevent resale or short‑term rental (“Airbnb”) use. Hernandez said buyers may use preferred lenders that Assured Developments works with, but they are not required to do so; the city will perform annual residency verifications and occasional site visits for the life of the assistance, with the first-year reviews focused on documentation and later years including sporadic on-site checks.
Staff said the close of escrow deadline required by the state HCD is in late July with occupancy expected by mid‑August if all documentation is complete. Housing staff will return to council with operational details and contact points for resident inquiries.
