Lease-to-Own Program

A path to affordable homeownership for qualified first-time homebuyers.

Eligibility

  • First-time homebuyer

  • $39,000 minimum income

  • 580+ credit score

  • One year at current employer (two years preferred)

  • No collections over $1,000 (up to $3,000 if medical)

  • Debt-to-income ratio below 18%

  • Qualify as “low-income” under federal guidelines

Additional Requirements

  • Households must secure financing and purchase within five years.

  • Households cannot exceed four persons.

  • Households must be able to pay at least $954 per month without assistance (rent may be higher depending on your income).

  • All applicants must have citizenship or legal immigration status and meet MPHA’s public housing resident selection criteria.

  • Residents must abide by the public housing lease and any lease-to-own addendums.

Program Benefits

  • Rent-to-own an affordable, two-bedroom townhome located in the Heritage Park neighborhood of Minneapolis.

  • MPHA escrows a percentage of your rent to contribute to your down-payment.

  • MPHA matches your personal savings up to $1,500.

  • Qualified residents may receive financial coaching, homebuyer education, and/or financing assistance from MPHA partners.

Partnership between MPHA and Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity

Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity (TCHFH) and MPHA are combining their resources together in order to assist MPHA clients interested in homeownership through the Sumnerfield Townhomes Lease-to-Own Program. MPHA will create a referral relationship for renters, in which TCHFH will provide homebuyer education and financial coaching, and its subsidiary TCHFH Lending Inc. can provide mortgage financing.

Pre-Application for Lease-to-Own

Please be aware there are a limited number of townhomes available for the lease-to-own program and they are all currently occupied.

Download the pre-application, print and fill it out, and mail it back to the following address:
Lease-to-Own Program
Minneapolis Public Housing Authority
1001 Washington Avenue North
Minneapolis, MN 55401

Upon receipt of the pre-application, an intake worker will review the pre-application and make a determination whether it is complete. If you are deemed eligible to apply, your application will be placed on the waiting list. A full eligibility evaluation will be completed prior to enrollment in the program.
Download the Lease-to-Own Pre-Application

Program Helps Low-Income Families Become Home Owners

Read more from KSTP about our program >>

For more information about MPHA’s Lease-to-Own Program, please contact:

LeaseToOwnInfo@mplspha.org
(612) 342-1413

Or use our Agency Contact Form