Greenlining Fund Initiatives: Supporting Homeownership and Preventing Displacement
Under the guidance of the Community Advisory Committee (CAC), the Greenlining Fund focuses on wealth creation and displacement prevention by providing resources to current and prospective homeowners.
Current Investments
Home Repair and Renovation
Home Equity Loan Fund (HELF) Pilot
Launched in summer 2023, the HELF program offered zero-interest loans of up to $50,000 per property address to help eligible households complete critical home repairs and renovations. Loans are fully amortized over 30 years and partially forgivable, making them accessible to households earning under 120% of AMI.
Key highlights of the program:
- After reviewing interest forms, Front Porch staff and the CAC invited 35 homeowners to apply for loans.
- Approved applicants worked with Front Porch to select contractors for repairs and renovations.
- Funds covered projects such as home repairs, exterior improvements, renovations, aging-in-place modifications, and energy efficiency upgrades.
The HELF program was administered in partnership with Impact Development Fund (IDF), which served as the loan originator and servicer. Funds were disbursed directly to contractors or vendors upon invoice submission.
Note: The interest period for HELF has now closed, and new interest forms are not being accepted.
No-Cost Home Repair Program
In 2024, the CAC introduced a no-cost home repair program to assist homeowners earning under 80% AMI. Grants will provide funding for critical home renovations and repairs. The CAC awarded grants to two nonprofit partners to administer the program and reach eligible homeowners. Programming will launch in 2025.
Property Tax Relief
The Greenlining Fund also focuses on supporting homeowners at risk of displacement due to escalating property taxes in revitalization areas. In 2024, the CAC awarded a grant to Volunteers Assisting Seniors to raise awareness of Nebraska's Homestead Exemption program, which helps older, low-income homeowners and other eligible homeowners in formerly redlined neighborhoods receive property tax relief and avoid displacement. For information on applying for the homestead exemption, click here.
Down Payment Assistance
The Greenlining Fund helps to reduce barriers to homeownership through simplifying access to down payment assistance programs or similar initiatives designed to empower first-time buyers and increase housing accessibility. To learn more about down payment assistance available in the Greater Omaha area, please review, download, and share the following resources.
Greenlining Fund Program Eligibility
The Lookup Tool will display a transparent color overlay throughout the map will match the "neighborhood grading" color code key on the lower left-hand side of the Lookup Tool. For example, 4111 N. 39th Street has a blue map color, correlating to the "still desirable" color code of the previous redlining map. 2107 Pinkney has a yellow map color, correlating to the "definitely declining" color code. 2221 Lake Street as a red map color, which correlates to the "hazardous" color code. The Greenlining fund programs target addresses located in a red and yellow map colors, previously identified as "hazardous" and "definitely declining".
To look up the address of a property, and determine if it is located in a formerly redlined area, use the lookup tool. Enter the address in the search bar. Green indicates areas formerly identified as "best", blue indicates areas formerly identified as "still desirable", yellow indicates areas formerly identified as "definitely declining" and red indicates areas formerly identified as "hazardous."
Additional homeownership resources from community partners
City of Omaha Resident Housing and Rehab services
