Housing Authority of the County of Santa Cruz

California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA)

CAlHFA is a state agency that provides financing to assist homebuyers statewide. To learn more about any of the CalHFA programs, Please visit the CalHFA website for the latest information regarding their programs.

• Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC)
• School Facility Fee Down Payment Assistance Program
• California Facility Fee Down Payment Assistance Program (SSF)

Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC)
The Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) reduces the amount of Federal income tax you pay, thus giving you more available income to qualify and pay for a mortgage loan.

School Facility Fee Down Payment Assistance Program (SSF)
First-time homebuyers who purchase a newly constructed home may apply for grants of $4,000 to $5,000 from CalHFA. These grants were approved as part of Proposition 46, which votes approved in 11-2002.

California Homebuyer's Down Payment Assistance Program (CHDAP)
CalHFA also offers a small loan for eligible first-time home buyers. The loan is for 3% of the home purchase price. It charges a 3% simple interest rate and no monthly payments are required for up to 30 years.

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2-1-1

Every day, the 2-1-1 toll-free helpline connects thousands of Santa Cruz County residents to housing, food, child care, and other information and referral services. This is a free and confidential referral service that connects people to health and human services in Santa Cruz County 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For more information please visit the 211 website.

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Fair Housing

Fair housing ensures that individuals with similar income levels in the same housing market have an equal range of choices available to them, regardless of race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, sex, disability, marital status, familial status, source of income, sexual orientation, or any other arbitrary factor.

Under federal and state fair housing laws, discrimination in the sale, rental, lease, or negotiation of real property based on protected status is prohibited. Protected status includes race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, and disability under federal law. In California, fair housing laws include marital status, ancestry, source of income, sexual orientation, and prohibit any arbitrary discrimination as protected categories under the laws.

The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) is the state agency responsible for protecting residents of California from unlawful discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations, and from the perpetration of acts of hate violence. The DFEH investigates only discrimination complaints. If you feel you have been or are being discriminated against call the DFEH at 1-800-884-1684.

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is the federal agency responsible for administering the federal Fair Housing Act. To file a complaint, contact the regional HUD Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Office in San Francisco at 1-800 347-3739 or you may call HUD’s Housing Discrimination Hotline at 1-800-669-9777. You can also download the discrimination complaint form and instructions from the following: http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=DOC_12150.pdf.

The following is a list of other fair housing legal assistance available to Watsonville residents: 

• California Rural Legal Assistance (free to low-income residents)- (831) 724-2253
• Watsonville Law Center (free service to low-income individuals)- (831) 722-2845
• Eviction Defense Collaborative (Community Bridges, Tenant Sanctuary, Senior Legal Services, and the Conflict Resolution Center of Santa Cruz County- (831) 288-2148 
• Senior Citizens Legal Services (55 years of age and above)- (831) 426-8824
• Santa Cruz Lawyer's Referral Service ($40 for ½ hour legal consultation)- (831) 425-4755
• Small Claims Advisory by Monterey College of Law (free service)- (831) 373-1959

Click here for Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) fair housing posters:

Fair Housing- English

Fair Housing- Spanish