City Council, under the leadership of Mayor Brandon Johnson, has approved changes to the Chicago Department of Housing’s Building Neighborhoods and Affordable Home program (BNAH) today, which includes an expansion of the program across the city, as well as increased funding.

Previously, the BNAH program encouraged homebuyers to move into five targeted neighborhood areas within the City Lots for Working Families program: Englewood Square, North Lawndale, South Lawndale, Humboldt Park/Garfield Park, and Woodlawn. Now, BNAH will offer assistance to homebuyers looking at any single-family home (one-to-four units) for sale across the city, as long as the property is in a City Council approved land sale redevelopment agreement.

Purchase grant assistance limits for homebuyers has also increased from $60,000 to up to $100,000, thanks to additional funding from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG).

A more comprehensive list of the changes to the BNAH program can be found below:

• Expanded from five targeted community areas to city-wide;
• Expanded eligible properties to include any single-family home for sale (one-to-four units) in a City Council approved land sale redevelopment agreement (not limited to City Lots for Working Families development program);
• Increased funding authority from $5 million AHOF to $10 million ($5M AHOF and $5M CDBG);
• Increased homebuyers purchase grant assistance limits from $60K to up to $100K;
• Grants funding with CDBG will be limited to eligible household buyers at or below 80% AMI; 
• Grants funded with AHOF will be limited to eligible household buyers at 81% AMI and below 140% AMI; and 
• Grants will be provided to eligible buyers on a scale based on AMI and neighborhood residency: 

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