The City provides for affordable low, median, or moderate income families through a City-wide Inclusionary Housing Program. Homes become available for purchase by eligible buyers when new developments are built or when existing homeowners decide to sell.

The Inclusionary homes have an affordability period up to 55 years from the time a home was built, any Inclusionary Housing Program home that is sold must be purchased by an eligible buyer and the price of the home must fall within an affordable price limit calculated by the City. Prices are calculated for affordability; this calculation is not driven by property values or other market conditions.

The City records a lien on each affordable home that remains on title for the duration of the affordability period. The lien ensures that the City is able to enforce the Inclusionary Housing Program requirements, including the resale restrictions.

• Jump to Inclusionary Housing Forms and Brochures

Since October 1, 2002, the Economic Development department charges fees for the following housing program services:

Payment will be required at the time of application. Checks should be made payable to the City of Huntington Beach.

From time to time, affordable homes are available for purchase (Get List). To be eligible to buy one of these homes, your total household income must be within certain limits. Most homes are restricted to moderate-income buyers; a limited number are restricted to low or median-income buyers. The City examines total gross income (before taxes or deductions) from all sources for all household members, even if not all household members are related or intend to be named on the mortgage or title. Home buyer eligibility is based only on gross household income; net worth is not considered.

If you find an affordable home that you are interested in buying, you or your Realtor should contact the listing Realtor and negotiate a purchase offer. After your offer is accepted, you will be given several forms to complete, and you will be asked to provide copies of recent pay stubs and tax forms; occasionally, additional documentation may be required. This information is necessary to verify your income eligibility. The Department of Economic Development will examine these documents for the sole purpose of determining eligibility.

View more sample sales price calculations

The buyer’s anticipated income available for mortgage payments equals the income limit (either low, median, or moderate, depending on the home being priced) for a household size equal to the number of bedrooms in the home plus one (a three bedroom home would use the income limit of a family of four). 35% of this amount is then decreased for anticipated home ownership costs, including homeowner association dues, utility expenses, property insurance, maintenance expenses, and property taxes. The income remaining is the amount a homeowner would be expected to be able to pay on their mortgage.

The interest rate used will be the lowest Fannie Mae 30-year, fixed yld-90day mortgage rate, as published in thefinanicals.com for the three months immediately proceeding the proposed home purchase.

 

Owning and Selling an "Affordable" Home

The Economic Development Department monitors the various affordable housing communities to ensure compliance with program requirements. These requirements include the following:

• Homes must be owner-occupied.
Homes may not be rented. Home mortgage refinances and second liens must be approved by the City. Home re-sales must be approved by the City.

Affordable homes are covenanted by the City for up to 60 years. These covenants enable the City to enforce the various program requirements. If you are interested in selling your home, you will need to obtain an Inclusionary Housing Program packet from the Economic Development Department. Complete and return the Request for Sales Price Determination.

Your maximum sales price will be calculated, and your property will be added to the list of homes for sale. This packet will include material for the buyer you select. It is your responsibility to find an eligible buyer and to direct the buyer to the City for approval. When the buyer's eligibility is confirmed and your negotiated sales price is found to be within the affordable limit, your sale will be approved.

Many people ask if affordable homes can build equity. As with any home, building equity depends on various factors, such as the status of the real estate market. Unlike unrestricted homes, equity growth in affordable homes is not solely market driven and may be limited due to program restrictions. 

Developments

There are several housing developments in Huntington Beach that have affordable housing covenants:

Name	Built	Units	Income Eligible	Location	PHOTO
Ash Street condos	2002	6 Units	Median	Ash St.
Brisas Del Mar	1993	44 Units	Low & Moderate	Delaware St. & Utica Ave.
Cape Ann	1999	146 Units	Moderate	Breezy Lane & Sea Gate Drive
Greystone Keys	1998	23 Affordable 150 Total	Moderate	Promenade Parkway & Sea Gate
Pacific Park Villas	1996	25 Units	Moderate	Joyful Lane & Happy Drive
Pacific Shores	2011	21 Affordable 123 Total	Low & Median	Newland & Atlanta
The Promenade	1999	80 Units	Moderate	Main Street & Promenade Parkway
The Tides	2004	12 Affordable 77 Total	Moderate	Goldenwest & Summit Drive
Tuscany	2007	5 Affordable 28 Total	Moderate	Gothard & Garfield
Villas at Seacliff	2008	4 Affordable 19 Total	Moderate	Gothard & Garfield

Forms and Brochures

Want more information about the Inclusionary Housing Program?

• Get a list of Inclusionary Homes for Sale
• Get the Inclusionary Housing Program Brochure
  
  

Interested in buying an Inclusionary Housing Program home?

• Online Sign up for the Inclusionary Housing Program Interest List
• Get the Inclusionary Housing Program Home Buyer Application
  
  

Form for current homeowners

• Request for Subordination Agreement
• Request for Sales Price Calculation
• Interest rate used to calculate Sale Price: 3.41% (5/1/2012).

  Lowest interest rate of proceeding 3 months.

Regulations

• Home Owner Regulations
• Developer Regulations

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