Update: Due to budget uncertainties the City has stopped processing grant proposals for the moment. But eligible people should still consider applying, so as to be ready if and when funding resumes.

The Exterior Grants component of the Home Improvement Program will offer up to $25,000 for exterior improvements that can include the roof, porch, stairs, fencing, gutters, and paint, as well as hardscaping and
landscaping improvements. These grants will be available in all SNI areas, but the City will give priority to those SNI neighborhoods that have identified rehabilitation as a top-ten priority.

This program will be available to owners that have properties occupied by households that do not exceed median income for the County of Santa Clara, currently $96,000 for a family of four, which is consistent with the Housing Department’s current programs. The San Jose Redevelopment Agency will transfer $4 million to the Housing Department to fund the program, with additional funding for the Exterior Grant component for future years to be proposed through the Capital Budget process.

“The Exterior Grants program will enable residents to see the benefits of SNI spread from their front door to the rest of their neighborhood,” said Leslie Corsiglia, Director of the City of San Jose Housing Department, in the city's press release announcing the program.


Also, a SNI program for first-time homebuyers

The Second Mortgage Assistance Program will assist first-time homebuyers to qualify for loans to buy a condominium or townhouse in any San José Redevelopment Project Area. It also will encourage developers to build ownership rather than rental housing. The program will offer second mortgages up to $40,000 with payments deferred for five years, thereby acting as part of the buyer’s down payment.

In addition to these programs, San Jose will continue its commitment to first time homeowners by transferring another $2 million, to complement the $4 million already invested over the past two years through the
Neighborhood Housing Services Silicon Valley. Together, the programs represent $20 million in homeowner assistance programs for San José residents.