By Kevin Deutsch
Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick on Friday announced $350,000 in federal funding she secured to help first-time homebuyers in Tamarac.
Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL), who announced the funding at Tamarac City Hall, said the “critical” government funds went to the city for its First-Time Homebuyer Purchase Assistance Program. The program helps qualified applicants with buying their first home in Tamarac. Funds from the program are used to assist with down payments and closing costs.
The money was included in Cherfilus-McCormick’s request to the House Appropriations Committee for Community Project Funding. The request delivered over $14 million in total funds for housing, economic opportunity, and healthcare to those who need it most, according to the congresswoman’s office.
Officials said the $350,000 will support affordable homeownership and enable Tamarac to increase the number of households assisted by the homebuyer program.
“South Florida is on the frontlines of our nation’s housing crisis. We cannot sit by as an entire generation of Americans are denied the American Dream,” said Cherfilus-McCormick, whose district includes Tamarac. “I was proud to deliver this critical funding, which will help more Floridians find an affordable place to live and not have to worry about putting a roof over their heads.”
“With its existing funds, Tamarac was only able to assist five to seven households per year,” added the congresswoman elected in 2022. “Thanks to this investment, Tamarac can now support triple the number of households.”
Carolyn Francis-Royer, Tamarac’s Housing and Community Development Manager, said the money “will certainly strengthen our purchase assistance program, allowing us to help more families realize their American Dream.”
“Without these funds, many families will not experience the joy of homeownership,” Francis-Royer said.
Around 63 percent of households in Cherfilus-McCormick’s district spend more than 30 percent of their income on rent, compared to 47.3% nationally, according to the congresswoman’s office. In Broward County, single-family home median prices recently jumped 11 percent to $600,000, her office said.
