Pinellas County's Homebuyer Initiative for Veterans

Pinellas County is introducing a new homebuyer initiative designed for Pinellas County veterans and active service personnel.

The Pinellas Community Housing Foundation’s Proud Ground Pinellas program provides quality, move-in ready homes at incredible prices. The purchase price of a home is greatly reduced because the cost of the land is removed. Instead, the homeowner pays a modest monthly ground lease, while enjoying all the benefits of traditional homeownership. For a limited time, a grant of up to $10,000 is available to assist with closing costs.

Funding for the unique program comes from the federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program. Foreclosed and/or abandoned properties are purchased and renovated to help stem the negative impacts the unattended properties can have in communities.

Proud Ground Pinellas homes feature energy saving amenities and Florida-friendly landscaping to help lower monthly household expenses. Hurricane preparedness enhancements provide additional peace of mind. Participants in Proud Ground Pinellas benefit from free homebuyer education classes, and the program provides ongoing tools and support to ensure a successful homeownership experience.

“Proud Ground Pinellas is an exciting housing opportunity for veterans,” said Anthony Jones, executive director of the Housing Finance Authority of Pinellas County. “We appreciate the service and dedication of our military and hope this new program will assist them with their dream of homeownership.”

Veterans and active service personnel who wish to apply to the program must have a minimum credit score of 640 and income may not exceed 120 percent of the Area Median Income. As an example, for a family of three the limit is $60,900.

Additional information is available on the Proud Ground Pinellas website at:  www.pinellascounty.org/community/proudgroundpinellas.htm, or you can email proudgroundpinellas@pinellascounty.org or call Pinellas County Community Development at (727) 464-8210.

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