The York Housing Opportunity Center (YHOC), a branch of Lancaster Housing Opportunity Partnership (LHOP), offers the following services to residents of York County and York City. At this time, the office is closed to the public, but staff can be reached by calling the York Housing Opportunity Center at 717-827-4334.
Housing Counseling Services for individuals and families to obtain and maintain quality housing:
- Pre-Purchase One on One Counseling
- Pre-Closing Counseling for PHFA Loans- Face to Face Session
- Credit and Budget Counseling
- Rental Counseling
- Post Purchase One on One Counseling
- Default and Delinquency Face to Face Session
Homebuyer Education Classes For First Time Homebuyers – Prepares participants for the home buying process, and the responsibilities of homeownership. Eight hour classes are provided as a one-day class on Saturdays, or a three day class held in the evening during the week. Classes are offered at the YHOC center or at the Lancaster Housing Opportunities Partnership offices in Lancaster, PA.
A Course Certificate is issued to those completing the course and meeting the course standards. It can be used to qualify for the YHAP program (below) and a variety of local mortgage loan programs and FHA, PHFA, VA, USDA program offerings. Visit www.lhop.org/events to see the class schedule.
Homebuyer Down-Payment and Closing Cost Assistance Program – The York Housing Assistance Program (YHAP) provides financial assistance to help pay down payment and closing costs.
Eligible first time homebuyers who are low-income, have completed Housing Education, and looking to purchase within York City or County, may qualify for financial assistance towards their down-payment and closing costs.
YHAP loan is in the form of a deferred payment, 0% interest, forgivable loan. This loan may be used towards down payment and/or closing cost fees in the City of York or York County. The maximum amount of the loan is 8% of the sale price, up to $7,000.00 for City of York residents or $5,000.00 for York County residents. Visit www.lhop.org/wp-contentuploads/2019/09/York-Eligibility-Requirements-2019-2020-1.pdf to see all of the program requirements and the income limits.
Fair Housing Training and Workshops – if you believe your Fair Housing rights have been violated, you can contact the LHOP Equity and Empowerment Institute Housing Rights Line at (717) 291-9945 ext. 109/110. An advisor will assist you in determining what action should be taken. If you are located in the City of York, your call will be forwarded to the York Human Relations Commission. Also, you may file a complaint with the Pennsylvania Human Relation Commission through the online Housing Discrimination Questionnaire. www.phrc.pa.gov/File-A-Complaint/ComplaintForms
Landlord – Tenant Rights In addition to fair housing rights, renters in Pennsylvania have rights under the Landlord-Tenant Act of 1951. To learn more about what the law says about tenants’ and landlords’ rights and responsibilities, take a look at the LHOP Landlord & Tenant Guide at: www.lhop.org/rent/tenants/tenant-rights.