Residential and Community Services Division The Residential and Community Services Division (RCSD) provides funding for programs focused on household level housing needs and neighborhood revitalization.  RCSD works through neighborhood-based organizations providing comprehensive housing counseling, small business technical assistance and façade improvement opportunities.   RCSD administers the District’s Home Purchase Assistance Program and Employee Assisted Housing Programs which provide financial assistance for low and moderate-income households and District Government employees for the purpose of first-time home purchase. The Division also provides rehabilitation resources, including grants for lead hazard remediation to eligible units and loans and grants to income-qualified owner-occupant DC residencies in order to preserve homeownership in the District.  Home Purchase Assistance Program Employer Assisted Housing Program Single Family Residential Rehabilitation Program Handicapped Accessibility Improvement Program Lead Safe Washington Program Neighborhood-Based Activities Home Purchase Assistance Program The Home Purchase Assistance program provides interest-free and low-interest loans to qualified residents, which enables them to purchase houses, condominiums, or cooperative apartments. Residents who are accepted into the three-tiered program are eligible for loans to meet down payment and closing cost requirements. The loan amounts are based on a combination of factors, including income, household size, and the amount of assets that each applicant must commit toward a property’s purchase price. Loans provided are subordinate to private first trust mortgages. Fact Sheets - English / Spanish / Assistance Table - English*     Employer Assisted Housing Program The Employer Assisted Housing Program (EAHP) provides assistance to employees of the District of Columbia Government who are first-time homebuyers in the District. Employees of District government agencies may be eligible for matching down payment funds up to $1,500 and a deferred loan of up to $10,000. In addition to the home purchase grants and loans, EAHP applicants who apply and qualify for the program receive additional tax incentives: An annual credit of $2,000 based on a sliding scale against income tax liability for five years. Sliding scale real property tax credits as follows: -  80% credit for the first year -  60% credit for the second year -  40% credit for the third year -  20% credit for the fourth year -  20% credit for the fifth year These tax benefits are only available to DC Government Employees who apply for the EAHP and require approval for the first time home purchase loans and grants.  Applicants who do not utilize the loan/grant program or who already own property in the District are not eligible for these tax incentives.  In order to retain these tax credits, applicants must remain employed and in good standing with the DC Government.  If the borrower ceases to be employed by the DC Government or moves out of the property, the borrower will be disqualified for both credits. Homebuyer Assistance Fact Sheet* Single Family Residential Rehabilitation Program The Department’s Single Family Residential Rehabilitation Program is designed to help households finance home repairs that will address DC housing code violations.  Funding may be used for activities that include repairing walls and floors; replacing windows; and repairing plumbing, electrical, and heating systems. Up to $75,000 in loan financing is available. Single Family Rehab Fact Sheet* Handicapped Accessibility Improvement Program The Handicapped Accessibility Improvement Program (HAIP) provides a grant of up to $30,000 for improvements needed to remove physical barriers within a home for persons with mobility or other physical impairments. Additional funding may be available under the Single Family Rehab program. Lead Safe Washington Lead Safe Washington (LSW) provides grants of up to $17,500 per housing unit to eligible homeowners and investor-owners of pre-1978 housing with deteriorated lead-based paint to make those units lead safe. The LSW also assists with unit testing to determine whether there is deteriorated lead-based paint in the home. To be eligible, the homeowner or tenant must be lower-income. Properties must be occupied by a child under 6 years of age or, in the case of rental property, available to families with children under 6 years of age. Units occupied by pregnant women also may be eligible for assistance. LSW is made available by funding provided by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control. Additional Lead Safe Washington Information Neighborhood-Based Activities Neighborhood-Based Activities include a broad range of programmatic initiatives carried out through neighborhood community development organizations working in their local service areas. Grants are tailored to match community needs. This program includes the following programmatic components: Comprehensive Housing Counseling and Training – provides funding for counseling services to tenants, potential homeowners, and current homeowners including managing personal credit, applying for program assistance, managing the home purchase process, homeowner training, apartment locating, and other services that assist residents with housing needs; Tenant Services – provides funding to assist tenants in understanding their rights and responsibilities through counseling, education, referral, or other means; Façade Improvement – provides funding for grants for storefront improvements in commercial corridors; and Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDO) – provides operating grants to CHDOs.