Book Description

While at an all-time high level, homeownership remains out of reach for many Americans, especially low-income families and minorities. In 2003, Pub. L. No. 108-186 created the American Dream Downpayment Initiative (ADDI) to help low-income, first-time homebuyers cover the up-front costs of buying a home (up to the greater of $10,000 or 6 percent of the purchase price) and authorized funding through fiscal year 2007. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) allocates ADDI funds to over 400 jurisdictions (e.g., states, cities, and counties). Pub. L. No. 108-86 directed GAO to perform a state-by-state analysis of ADDI's impact. This report discusses (1) HUD-reported information on ADDI expenditures and assisted households, and the limitations on the quality of these data and (2) the views of officials from selected jurisdictions on factors that affected their ability to use their funds and on the program's impact.