Albany County Executive Daniel P. McCoy and the Albany County Legislature announced the approval of a contract with the Affordable Housing Partnership of the Capital Region Inc. to establish the Albany County First-Time Homebuyer Navigator Program. This initiative is part of Albany County’s ongoing commitment to improving housing accessibility and is expected to create more vibrant, sustainable communities.

This initiative will create a new “navigator” position at the Affordable Housing Partnership, and will help remove many of the common barriers faced by first-time homebuyers. This individual will provide hands-on, expert assistance with funding opportunities, navigating the step-by-step process of purchasing a home, and provide advice and insight into the rehabilitation process of dilapidated properties. This includes counseling on securing State of New York Mortgage Agency (SONYMA) and Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans, 203k rehab loans to purchase and renovate vacant homes in need of repair, and other existing support resources. The Navigator will focus primarily on assisting low- and moderate-income individuals.

“Through personalized guidance, financial education, and direct connection to trusted local resources, this navigator will empower first-time homebuyers with the tools they need to succeed in purchasing a home. I look forward to working with the Affordable Housing Partnership to ensure that more residents, especially those most in need, have a real chance to build a better future,” said Albany County Executive Daniel P. McCoy.

"The First-Time Homebuyer Navigator Program will help remove the primary impediments to purchasing property - access to financing and confusion. It is also a vital piece of the County Legislature’s Housing Agenda, which combines legislation, funding, and partnerships into a holistic approach striving to create more housing, and especially more affordable housing, in Albany County,” said Albany County Legislature Chairwoman Joanne Cunningham.

"This new initiative helps us address historic inequities in housing opportunities that people of color in Albany County have faced stretching back nearly a century. Most people just need a little direction along the complex journey of property ownership, the First Time Homebuyer Navigator program is the ideal guidance platform for community members who want to buy a house to turn it into a home or purchase a blighted property to rehabilitate. We will support them and fight blight at the same time,” said Albany County Legislature Deputy Chairwoman Wanda Willingham.

“Albany County is proudly pro-housing. We’re cutting through red tape, connecting people to real resources, and creating new paths to homeownership. This is about restoring properties, strengthening our neighborhoods, and making the American Dream possible for more families,” said Democratic Majority Leader Dennis Feeney.

Since 1989, the Affordable Housing Partnership has brought together non-profit affordable housing organizations, public sector housing agencies, and area financial institutions to promote successful, sustainable homeownership and affordable rental housing to strengthen neighborhoods and the financial independence of residents.