City of Cambridge Receives Award for Commitment to Homebuyer Education

The City of Cambridge has been recognized with a Pioneer Award from the Citizens' Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA) through its Massachusetts Homebuyer Collaborative, honoring the City's longstanding commitment to first-time homebuyer education.

The award was presented as part of the Massachusetts Homebuyer Collaborative's 30th anniversary celebration and recognizes organizations that have partnered with the Collaborative for at least 20 years to provide high-quality homebuyer education.

For more than 25 years, Cambridge has helped residents navigate the path to homeownership through its CHAPA-certified first-time homebuyer workshops. The City holds a Seal of Approval from the Massachusetts Homebuyer Collaborative, for providing comprehensive education that meets rigorous standards of professionalism and ethics.

The Massachusetts Homebuyer Collaborative is an organization that establishes standards for certified agencies that provide homebuyer education and counseling services. It brings together nonprofit homebuyer counseling agencies, lenders, real estate professionals, government officials, and other housing partners from across the Commonwealth.

The City of Cambridge offers its CHAPA-certified first-time homebuyer workshop six times each year, serving more than 400 participants annually. The program provides a thorough overview of the homebuying process and features presentations from local real estate agents, mortgage lenders, home inspectors, real estate attorneys, and insurance professionals.

Participants who complete the workshop receive a certificate that may support or enable them to access affordable mortgage products, down payment assistance programs, and first-time homebuyer opportunities available through City and partner programs.