By Glenn Rolfe

SEAFORD — With City Council’s blessing and a financial pledge, a pilot program of homebuying incentives for first responders, education and health professionals, and military personnel is taking off.

On Tuesday, by a 4-1 vote, council approved a recommendation from the city’s Economic Development Committee to provide a housing incentive initiative requested by NVR Inc.

For its part, the city will provide $2,500 in closing costs for each home purchase back to NVR, a mortgage company, with a cap of $60,000, or two dozen transactions. That $2,500 would be discounted from the buyer’s price.

Seaford economic development director Trisha Newcomer said the conversation with NVR started when it heard about a similar incentive for city employees.

“They thought that that was something that they could use in their incentive package in selling their homes. They are operating in Mearfield and Mearfield II currently,” she said. “We thought we would try this as a pilot with just NVR through the end of the year, not to exceed $60,000.”

Ms. Newcomer explained that a mortgage through NVR would be required and that the buyer would have to provide an employment verification and be named on the loan.

“We want to assist with development, but we really want to get the incentive to that end user, that workforce housing, that teacher that is just out of college that needs a home,” she said. “We heard numerous times from the high school about various recruiting issues, and workforce housing (was) one of those.”

The sunset date for the program is Dec. 31.

NVR, a company engaged in home construction and headquartered in Reston, Virginia, also operates a mortgage banking and title services business, primarily on the East Coast.

City Council members Orlando Holland, Matt MacCoy, Dan Henderson and Michael Bradley supported the measure, while James King opposed.

“We’re limiting this incentive to a very specific buyer. We’re not offering this incentive to everyone. This $60,000 cost attached to this program, the city would have to fund,” Councilman King said. “Really, to be honest, with utility rates, the cost of services and things continuing to rise, in my opinion, I think this money could be spent in a much better way than just giving it to an incentive.

“The housing market is on fire to begin with. It’s not that I am taking anything away from first responders. What they do is critical. I think, really, this isn’t fair. We’re not offering this incentive to the entire community.”

Mayor David Genshaw disagreed, saying, “We will move forward. Thanks to NVR for taking the lead on this, attempting a pilot program. We’ll see how it works.”

Ms. Newcomer said city staff will bring the topic back to council in November with “an update of where we are, what has transpired in this pilot process. Certainly, at that time, if council feels that it needs to be opened up more citywide, we’re happy to do that.”

For information, contact City Hall at 302-629-9173.