You are invited to fill out and submit an application for Affordable Housing by either downloading an application and printing it out manually, or by filling out an application directly on-line (currently under construction).

• Affordable Housing Application (English)
• Affordable Housing Application (Espanol)

For questions about secure access, click here: Secure Access
Paper Applications are also available at the City Halls of Hailey and Ketchum and at the BCHA office located at 400 S Main St, Suite 303 in Hailey.

2) Ranking System for Purchase Priority

The ranking system for purchase priority is designed to ensure Community Housing units are available to potential purchasers according to the BCHA priorities. Generally, this system is designed to match Community Housing units with applicants based on the personal situation of the applicant, the needs and priorities of the community, and the length of the applicant’s employment history within Blaine County.

BCHA does not require verification of the information in the application at the time of its submission. However, all information will be verified when the applicant is selected to purchase or rent a Community Housing unit. If any information is inaccurate, the applicant will be disqualified for selection as a Community Housing unit owner/renter. BCHA sends an annual notice to all applicants on the waiting list reminding them to update any information that has changed. It is, however, the responsibility of the applicant to provide updated information to BCHA as needed.

Each time a Community Housing unit becomes available for sale, BCHA ranks all applicants on the waiting list according to a point system. Each applicant’s information is entered into a computerized database. When a unit becomes available, the size, type, income level, and location of that unit is matched against the information in the database for every applicant. Each applicant in the database is then assigned a score for the available unit.

The applicant with the highest number of points is contacted by the BCHA, either in writing or by phone. If the applicant wishes to purchase the unit, BCHA verifies all application information will and, provided all of the selection criteria are met, the applicant can proceed with purchasing the unit. If two or more applicants are tied with the highest number of points, a lottery determines the order of applicants eligible for purchasing the available unit.

Since the selection criteria for each available unit will be different (depending on location, unit size, targeted income level, etc.), an applicant who scores at one level for a particular unit may score at a very different level for another unit. Being near the top of the list for one unit provides no particular advantage in the selection process for the next available unit.

Applicants meeting the income and occupancy guidelines are ranked according to the point schedule outlined in the BCHA Guidelines (refer to the BCHA Guidelines for details on point system):

i. Household size;

ii. Length of Continuous Employment in Blaine County;

iii. Location of Employment in relation to Location of Unit;

iv. Time on Community Housing Waiting List;

v. Disability Status;

vi. Applicants employed in jobs that are deemed “Essential Services” by the BCHA. Please note certain lengths of service are required to be eligible for these points;

vii. Community Housing unit owners who wish to sell their existing unit and move to a different Community Housing unit;

viii. Applicants who have completed the Homebuyer Education course certified by the BCHA.

For more information, refer to: http://www.ihfa.org/finallyhomeonlinecourse/. For individuals interested in attending a class, the Homebuyer’s Course is also held in Twin Falls and Hailey on an alternating basis by the College of Southern Idaho (CSI). For information on in-person classes, refer to CSI’s website at: http://www.csi.edu/ip/ce/classes/index.html. Once you have completed the course, either online or in person, contact BKHA Staff so we can be sure to update your application.

ix. Applicants who have submitted a prequalification letter from a recognized mortgage lender qualifying the applicant for no less than 90% of the purchase price of the unit for sale.

In addition to Priority Points, other points may be awarded by BCHA in special situations. These Priority Points typically apply only in situations where a household is reconfigured due to death or divorce and one member of the original household wishes to retain the unit. Additional regulations and information with respect to qualifying for priority points is provided in Part III, Section 7 of the Guidelines.

3) Waiting List

All individuals, households, and Local Employers who have submitted application information to the BCHA are ranked for each unit that becomes available. This group of applicants is referred to as the “Applicant Pool” or “Waiting List”.

4) Purchase & Sale Agreement and Deed Restriction

When an applicant is selected for an available housing unit and the applicant is interested in purchasing it, then the applicant must secure financing and sign a Purchase and Sale Agreement. The Purchase and Sale Agreement is a legal document defining the terms and conditions under which the Community Housing unit is to be transferred. It confers binding obligations and liabilities upon the parties who sign it. Both the buyer and the seller are advised to consult an attorney prior to signing the Purchase and Sale Agreement or any amendments or addenda to it.

All parties to the Purchase and Sale Agreement understand that BCHA is not acting as a Real Estate Broker in the purchase and sale of the subject unit. BCHA represents neither the Buyer nor the Seller and is acting solely in the interest of the Housing Authority for furthering the goals expressed in the Guidelines and in accordance with the Covenants Running with the Land on the property (Deed Restriction). The Housing Authority makes no representations as to the condition, quality, or suitability of the Property for Buyer’s purposes. The Buyer and Seller are advised to seek the advice of competent legal and real estate professionals to represent their interests in a purchase and sale transaction.

The unit subject to purchase comes with a Deed Restriction, placing significant limitations on the re-sale price of the property as well as other terms and conditions. Each purchaser must sign documentation acknowledging the purchaser's agreement to be bound by the recorded Deed Restriction covering the sale unit.

If an applicant fails to secure financing, he/she is eliminated from consideration for purchasing that particular unit but does not lose his/her priority in consideration for future available units. An applicant may decide to refuse a unit for any reason up to two times and will not lose priority in consideration for future available units. However, an applicant refusing to purchase a unit or failing to secure financing three times will receive a 15 point deduction in Priority Points on all future unit selection calculations.

5) Sales and Other Fees

BCHA collects an administrative fee of three percent (3%) of the sales price from the seller at the time of closing. This fee is set out in the Deed Restriction and represents an ongoing equitable interest in the property held by the BCHA. The fee is earned by BCHA during the term of each occupant’s ownership of a Community Housing Unit and supports BCHA’s efforts to produce Community Housing in Blaine County. The administrative fee also supports BCHA’s activities in selecting purchasers and compliance monitoring for each unit. The BCHA may instruct the title company to extract this fee out of the funds held for the seller at the time of closing.

BCHA also charges a ¼% fee for FNMA-type financing for the sale, resale, or refinancing of Community Housing units. FNMA-type financing provisions require the removal of the Deed Restriction in the case of foreclosure, if BCHA, City, or the County does not purchase the unit within a specified time following foreclosure. If the ¼% fee is not paid during the initial purchase of units, the fee will be paid by the owners of these units at the time the unit is refinanced or resold. Clearly, BCHA does not charge this fee if FNMA-type financing provisions are not used by the mortgagor.