Buying a home can feel out of reach when you’re already stretching your budget, especially if Hurricanes Sally or Zeta disrupted your housing plans.
Baldwin County, Alabama, has opened a Homeownership Assistance Program that may provide eligible homebuyers with up to $85,000 toward purchasing a home.
The program is specifically designed to help income-qualified households affected by Hurricanes Sally and Zeta remain in or return to Baldwin County.
What Is the Homeownership Assistance Program?
The Homeownership Assistance Program, or HAP, is funded through Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery funds provided after Hurricanes Sally and Zeta.
Baldwin County is partnering with Family Promise of Baldwin County to administer the program and work directly with participating homebuyers.
Instead of offering everyone the same amount, HAP is designed to help close the gap between what an eligible household can afford and the actual cost of purchasing a qualifying home.
Assistance may include:
- Down payment assistance of up to 20%
- Interest-rate buy-downs
- Principal write-downs
- Eligible closing costs
- Inspections
- Appraisals
- Surveys
- Legal services
- Initial home warranty premiums
- Homebuyer counseling and case management
How Much Can I Get?
The maximum assistance is $85,000 per qualifying household.
That doesn’t mean every approved applicant will receive $85,000. The actual amount is based on the financial assistance needed for the qualifying home purchase.
The County’s program documents explain that the assistance is secured by a lien on the property through a mortgage deed and restrictive covenants.
There’s also a five-year affordability period. The household must maintain the purchased home as its primary residence for five years after the purchase to meet the program’s affordability requirements.
Who May Qualify?
The current public application information focuses on households earning 80% or less of Area Median Income, or AMI.
Applicants must also have a qualifying connection to the disasters. You may qualify if you fall into one of these groups:
- You lived in Baldwin County during the qualifying storm events and remained in the county;
- You previously lived in Baldwin County, relocated after the storms and want to return; or
- You were in the process of purchasing a storm-impacted home in Baldwin County at the time of the disaster.
If you’re not familiar with AMI or how these limits work, our area median income guide can help explain how household income limits are calculated.
What Other Requirements Should I Know About?
Baldwin County’s 2026 program materials identify several additional buyer requirements.
Applicants must:
- Be a U.S. citizen or qualified alien
- Provide the required proof of Baldwin County residency or qualifying home-purchase connection at the time of the disaster
- Obtain a lender pre-approval letter
- Complete a homebuyer education class
- Contribute at least $500 toward closing costs
- Maintain the purchased property as their primary residence for at least five years
- Meet the program’s rules regarding previous federal disaster assistance used for a home purchase
These requirements are important because qualifying based on income and disaster impact alone doesn’t automatically mean you’ll receive assistance.
What Kind of Home Can I Buy?
The program is intended to help eligible households purchase a single-family home in Baldwin County.
The County’s program plan also places restrictions on properties in certain floodplains or disaster-risk-reduction areas identified as likely to be impacted again.
Because the home itself has to qualify, it’s important to work through the HAP process before assuming a particular property can be purchased with program assistance.
How Do I Apply?
The HAP application portal opened September 21, 2026, and Baldwin County’s official program page currently shows the application as open.
Applications are available in both English and Spanish.
Start with the official Baldwin County HAP page.
The County also provides:
- HAP Applicant Guidance
- A 10-step applicant guide
- Frequently Asked Questions
- A preferred vendor list for mortgage pre-approval
- Additional program materials explaining the homebuying process
Reviewing those materials before applying can help you understand what documentation you’ll need and what steps come next.
Do I Need Mortgage Pre-Approval?
Mortgage pre-approval is an important part of this program.
Baldwin County’s HAP materials list a lender pre-approval letter among the buyer requirements, and the official program page provides a preferred vendor list to help applicants begin that process.
The amount of HAP assistance you ultimately receive depends on your qualifying home purchase and the affordability gap the program is helping you cover.
Is This First Come, First Served?
Yes.
Baldwin County’s program plan says requests for assistance are evaluated first come, first served among applications that meet all applicable eligibility requirements.
That makes it worth applying promptly if you believe you qualify and you’re ready to begin the homebuying process.
It doesn’t mean submitting an application guarantees funding. Your eligibility and the proposed home purchase still have to meet program requirements.
Is the Program Open Right Now?
Yes.
The official Baldwin County HAP page currently says “APPLICATION LINK NOW OPEN” and provides links to both the English and Spanish applications.
There isn’t a fixed public closing date listed on the current program page.
Because assistance is limited and qualifying applications are evaluated first come, first served, eligible households who are ready to apply may not want to unnecessarily delay.
Always check the official HAP page before applying for the latest program status and instructions.
Relief Recap
Coming up with a down payment and closing costs can be one of the biggest barriers between a family and homeownership. For Baldwin County households whose housing plans were affected by Hurricanes Sally or Zeta, this program could make that gap considerably smaller.
Eligible households may receive up to $85,000 toward a qualifying home purchase, with assistance potentially covering a down payment, eligible closing costs, interest-rate or principal reductions, and other approved homebuying expenses.
The application portal is open now, and qualifying requests are evaluated first come, first served.
If you think you may qualify, review Baldwin County’s HAP guidance, start the mortgage pre-approval process, and make sure you understand the five-year primary-residence requirement before moving forward.
