(San Jose, CA: August 16, 2004) Almost 1,200 families have found a place to call home in Santa Clara County, thanks to a Housing Trust of Santa Clara County program that received new funding support today. The Santa Clara County Association of REALTORS® (SCCAOR) and the Santa Clara County REALTORS® Foundation have presented the Housing Trust of Santa Clara County (HTSCC) with a check for $25,000 in support of the Trust's First-time Homebuyer Program.

HTSCC will use the donation to continue their successful First-time Homebuyer Loan, a $6,500 0% interest loan aimed at helping buyers purchase their first home in Santa Clara County. HTSCC has already invested more than $8 million into support for first-time homebuyers, helping almost 1,200 families purchase homes valued at more than $376 million. Housing Trust of Santa Clara County Executive Director Roccie Hill said, “The Housing Trust is grateful for the continuing support of both SCCAOR and the REALTORS Foundation. Their donations have enabled the Trust to help almost 1,200 families buy their first homes in Santa Clara County in just over two years, and we look forward to helping many more families realize their dream of home ownership in the future.”

For more information on the Housing Trust's First-time Homebuyer Program, please see our website at http://www.housingtrustscc.org/m2_s1.php

About the Housing Trust of Santa Clara County: The Housing Trust of Santa Clara County, an affordable housing investment trust, offers loans and grants to create affordable housing opportunities. In just over two years, the Trust has helped more than 1,100 families buy their first homes in Santa Clara County; enabled the development of hundreds of units of affordable rental housing, worth over $194 million; and helped create hundreds of units of shelter and special-needs housing in our community, making it possible for more than 3,700 people like teachers, police officers, firefighters, nurses and civic employees to live in the communities they serve. The Housing Trust of Santa Clara County is a nonprofit, 501 (c)(3) corporation.