The Blazer Home program will assist five eligible UAB faculty and staff with grants to help them purchase a home in designated areas of North Titusville.The University of Alabama at Birmingham will expand opportunities for homeownership in North Titusville for its employees through Blazer Home, a five-year pilot program that begins this month.
“This initiative reflects UAB’s longtime partnership and shared vision with our community, and complements our efforts in neighborhood revitalization,” said UAB President Ray L. Watts. “We are pleased to offer this assistance to our employees to further support their success, as together we continue achieving collective success in all parts of our mission.”
After being paused and reevaluated during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Blazer Home Neighborhood Living Initiative will now offer five, five-year grants of up to $15,000. These grants can be utilized for down payments and/or closing costs when purchasing a primary residence within the specified incentive zones in the North Titusville neighborhood. The initiative aligns with various aspects of UAB’s strategic plan, Forging Ahead, including community engagement, research, innovation and economic development.
“I am pleased that UAB has the opportunity to restart the Blazer Home program with a focus on the neighborhood west of the campus,” said Brian Burnett, Ph.D., senior vice president for Finance and Administration. “This is a unique opportunity for our employees to get an assist in investing in home ownership that helps revitalize a key neighborhood near our campus.”
Qualifications
In order to participate in the Blazer Home Neighborhood Living Initiative, applicants must meet the following criteria:
Employee Eligibility:
- Employee must be a full-time, benefits-eligible employee of UAB.
- Employee must be purchasing a primary residence in the incentive zone.
- Employee must be qualified for a mortgage through an approved lender.
Property Eligibility:
- The residence must be in the geographical boundaries of the incentive zones of the Titusville neighborhood adjacent to campus.
- The property must be a single-family home, townhome or condominium.
- The property must be owner-occupied by the employee for the five-year term of the grant.
- Second homes, vacation homes, mobile homes, investment properties, homes for dependents and non-dependents, and life care facilities are not qualifying residences. A participant must occupy the qualifying residence as his or her primary residence.
With just a few steps, full-time, benefits-eligible UAB, UAB Hospital and UAB Hospital Management, LLC employees can apply for assistance with the Blazer Home program to help with the purchase of a new home within the designated incentive zone. Click here to apply.
“We are excited to support employees on the path to homeownership, while also strengthening the relationship between the university and our community,” said David Dada, director of Government Relations at UAB.
First-time homebuyers must participate in a First-Time Homebuyer’s Workshop through UAB’s Employee Assistance & Counseling Center. The workshop consists of two components:
- An online assessment to educate on home-buying (required)
- Personal counseling with the Regions Institute for Financial Education to help clear any issues, create a budget and introduce other principles of personal financial management (as needed)
Employees can review the full terms and conditions and download an application at uab.edu/blazerhome.