CITY OF WESTLAKE, FL — (August 5, 2024) — Minto Communities USA, the master developer and largest landowner in Westlake, applauds the City of Westlake for revamping a program that can help first-time home buyers and civil servants save thousands of dollars on the purchase of a home.
In early July, the Westlake City Council reworked its Housing Assistance Purchase Program Yearly (HAPPY), initially adopted in 2017. Under the new and improved program, a family with a household income up to $300,000 can qualify for $25,000 to $35,000 for a down payment on a house that costs no more than $568,577. The specific award will depend upon each applicant’s financial need using criteria set by the Federal Housing Administration.
Minto Communities, the primary home builder in Westlake, offers new townhomes starting in the mid-$300s and single-family homes starting in the $400s.
“One of the biggest roadblocks a young couple or family faces when looking to buy a home is coming up with the down payment,” said John Carter, Minto Communities senior vice president. “The City of Westlake has taken the lead and developed a very bold, innovative, and sustainable program to help these folks overcome this financial challenge and achieve the American Dream. I do not know of any other workforce housing program in South Florida that is as simple and effective as what is being offered in Westlake.”
Anyone who meets the financial qualifications is invited to apply, but preference is given to first-time home buyers and those who have not owned a home for the last three years.
In retooling the HAPPY program, the City also expanded the applicant pool to include civil servants and essential service personnel. These include teachers and educators, other school district personnel, community college and university employees, police and fire personnel, health care providers, local government workers in Palm Beach County, active military members and veterans, and other occupations described in Florida’s Hometown Heroes Loan program developed by the State of Florida in wake of the pandemic.
A qualified applicant can receive up to $25,000 in assistance, but if more than one person in the household is an essential worker, then the amount can bump up to $35,000.
Minto offers its own “Welcome Heroes” program, which gives public servants a 3% discount on the base price of a new Minto home at Westlake.
“With our affordably priced homes and first-class amenities, the Westlake community has been very attractive to police officers, paramedics, nurses, teachers, active military and others who proudly serve our community,” Carter said. “Now they can take advantage of both our Welcome Heroes offer and the City’s program and realize even more savings on a new home.”
For example, if a married couple who worked as law enforcement officers bought a new 3-bedroom Azalea Grand single-family home by Minto with a base price of $567,990, they would save $17,039 by applying the Welcome Heroes 3% discount. Plus, they could potentially qualify for up to $35,000 from the HAPPY program, for a total savings of over $52,000.
Currently, the City has $4.3 million in its workforce housing account, which is funded by builder contributions each time a new house is built. When a commercial landowner sells, they must also contribute a small percentage of the gross sale amount. To keep the program running in perpetuity, those who sell an existing home are required to give a set amount to the fund at closing.
With a population nearing 7,000, Westlake is one of the fastest-growing cities in Palm Beach County and all of Florida. Conceived to be the “New Downtown” for Central Palm Beach County, Westlake is a lifestyle-focused, mixed-use community encompassing 3,800 acres with the capacity for 6,500 homes and 2.2 million square feet of retail, restaurant, office and other commercial development.
In early summer, Minto opened four new furnished models at its newest townhome neighborhood, The Terraces, which features 3–4-bedroom townhomes from the new Courtyard Collection. Minto also offers seven single-family and estate home furnished models that are open daily for touring at Westlake.
On the commercial side, a new Starbucks and KFC recently opened in the Shoppes of Westlake, which should be fully built out in the coming months. Other retailers and restaurants set to open include Taco Bell, Habit Burger, 3 Natives, Heartland Dental, Verizon Wireless, Go Green Cleaners, and Orangetheory Fitness. Publix, which opened a grocery store in Westlake a year ago, has started constructing a new retail center on adjacent land, phase two of its approved development plan. Construction will start soon on a new Tractor Supply Co. store giving residents a new place to shop for home, garden, and pet supplies.
For more information on Westlake, call 888-299-3628 or visit WestlakeFL.com The sales center is located at 16610 Town Center Parkway North, Westlake, Florida, just off Seminole Pratt Whitney Road between Southern Blvd. and Northlake Blvd.
About Minto Communities USA
Minto Communities USA, based in Florida since 1978, has represented integrity, financial strength and enduring value for over 45 years. Minto builds exceptional new homes and communities to meet every lifestyle, with more than 35,000 new homes built in 48 communities. Minto is dedicated to continuous improvement in design, quality and customer experience. These are just some of the elements that set Minto apart as an exceptional homebuilder and community developer and have earned the company national recognition that includes consistently high rankings from Eliant Customer Service Surveys. Minto has been recognized with multiple national awards from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) for community and home design, including Best Single-Family Community Over 100 Homes for Westlake in the City of Westlake; Best Mixed-Use Community and Best Clubhouse for The Isles of Collier Preserve in Naples, Florida. Minto is also recognized throughout the homebuilding industry as an expert in developing active-adult communities. The NAHB named Minto Communities as 2019’s 55+ Builder of the Year. Minto’s Latitude Margaritaville Daytona Beach was awarded 55+ Community of the Year for 2019, and Latitude Margaritaville Hilton Head was awarded 55+ Community of the Year for 2020. Minto’s Westlake and all three Latitude Margaritaville communities were named among the 2023 Top 50 Master-Planned Communities by John Burns Real Estate Consulting and RCLCO Real Estate Consulting. In addition, Minto Communities USA was ranked #13 among the Top 100 Private Home Builders in U.S. by Home Builder Executive magazine for 2023. Follow Minto on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram at MintoCommunitiesUSA or visit MintoUSA.com.
