Orlando Homeownership to Get $6.3 Million Boost

NeighborhoodLIFT program will offer homebuyer education plus $15,000
down payment assistance grants available for eligible homebuyers in
Lake, Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties; special parameters for
veterans, military, teachers and first responders

ORLANDO, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC), NeighborWorks® America, Orlando
Neighborhood Improvement Corporation (ONIC), and Neighborhood Housing
Services of South Florida (NHSSF) today announced the NeighborhoodLIFT^®
program will launch for Lake, Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties
with a $6.3 million commitment by Wells Fargo to boost local
homeownership.

“The City of Orlando is committed to ensuring that our residents
have access to safe, high-quality housing they can afford, and a key
piece of this is to develop new policies and partnerships that remove
barriers for residents who would like to pursue the American dream of
homeownership,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. “That is why we are
pleased to welcome Wells Fargo’s NeighborhoodLIFT program to Orlando.
Through NeighborhoodLIFT, residents may qualify for down payment
assistance grants and educational and counseling services that can help
them achieve the goal of owning a home.”

The 2018 Orlando NeighborhoodLIFT program follows the 2012 program that
created 205 homeowners in the greater Orlando area. Overall, Wells Fargo
has conducted 65 LIFT program events in the U.S. since 2012 that have
created nearly 19,000 homeowners.

Walk-ins are welcome for the free NeighborhoodLIFT event in Orlando
Nov. 30–Dec. 1

More than 360 interested homebuyers are registered to attend the free
event on Friday, Nov. 30, from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. and on Saturday, Dec. 1,
from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the DoubleTree Hilton SeaWorld, located at 10100
International Dr., Orlando. Walk-ins also are welcome while grants are
available for reservation. Those intending to walk in should be prepared
with documents required to reserve funds posted at www.orlandoneighborhood.org/lift/.

Participating homebuyers can obtain mortgage financing from any
participating lender, and ONIC and NHSSF will determine eligibility,
administer the grants, and provide homebuyer and financial education.
Approved homebuyers will have up to 60 days to finalize a contract to
purchase a home in Lake, Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties.

“The NeighborhoodLIFT program is another example of our commitment to
Central Florida and our efforts to build better communities through
sustainable homeownership,” said Derek Jones, Wells Fargo North Central
Florida region bank president. “The program will help hardworking
families and individuals get on the path to achieve successful and
sustainable homeownership.”

To be eligible, annual incomes must not exceed 80 percent of the local
area median income in the county where the home is being purchased to
reserve $15,000 down payment assistance grants. In addition, there are
special parameters for veterans and service members, teachers, law
enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency medical technicians who
may reserve $17,500 down payment assistance grants within eligibility
requirements including earning up to 100 percent of the area median
income.

In addition, Wells Fargo has committed $225,000 for up to 450 consumers
to receive complimentary face-to-face homeownership counseling.
Interested homebuyers can receive a voucher at the Orlando
NeighborhoodLIFT launch event that will provide in-person homeownership
counseling at no charge with a participating HUD-approved housing
counselor in the Orlando area. The complimentary Home Ownership
Counseling grant program is an additional resource to the homebuyer
education required for a NeighborhoodLIFT down payment assistance grant.

“This innovative public-private collaboration will create about 325 more
homeowners in the greater Orlando area,” said Donald Phoenix, regional
vice president, Southern region, NeighborWorks America. “The required
homebuyer education classes provided by certified professionals better
prepare NeighborhoodLIFT homebuyers to achieve their goal of sustainable
homeownership.”

Approved homebuyers must be approved for home financing with an eligible
lender and be in contract to purchase a home in Lake, Orange, Osceola or
Seminole County. To reserve the full grant amount, participants buying a
primary residence with the NeighborhoodLIFT program must commit to live
in the home for five years.

“The NeighborhoodLIFT program will provide homebuyer education and down
payment assistance to help families become homeowners,” said Robert
Ansley, president of ONIC. “We are excited to team up with Wells Fargo
and NeighborWorks America to make this opportunity available for so many
deserving families.”

Since February 2012, LIFT programs have helped create nearly 19,000
homeowners in 65 communities. A video about the NeighborhoodLIFT program
is posted on Wells
Fargo Stories.

About ONIC, NHSSF and NeighborWorks America

Orlando Neighborhood Improvement Corporation (ONIC) has been developing
affordable housing in Central Florida since 1989. Neighborhood Housing
Services of South Florida has worked to strengthen communities and
create affordable housing for over 30 years. Both organizations are
chartered members of NeighborWorks America, a national organization that
creates opportunities for people to live in affordable homes, improve
their lives and strengthen their communities. NeighborWorks America
supports a network of more than 245 nonprofits, located in every state,
the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Visit http://orlandoneighborhood.org/,
https://nhssf.org/,
or http://www.neighborworks.org/
to learn more.

About Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a diversified, community-based
financial services company with $1.9 trillion in assets. Wells Fargo’s
vision is to satisfy our customers’ financial needs and help them
succeed financially. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco,
Wells Fargo provides banking, investment and mortgage products and
services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through 7,950
locations, 13,000 ATMs, the internet (wellsfargo.com) and mobile
banking, and has offices in 37 countries and territories to support
customers who conduct business in the global economy. With approximately
262,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the
United States. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 26 on Fortune’s 2018
rankings of America’s largest corporations. News, insights and
perspectives from Wells Fargo are also available at Wells
Fargo Stories.

© 2018 Wells Fargo Bank N.A. All rights reserved. For Public Use.

Contacts

Media Contacts:
Gabriela Lambertus, 305-619-8898
Gabriela.Lambertus@wellsfargo.com
@GabyLambertusWF
Stephanie
Grant, 760-317-6505
Stephanie.Grant2@wellsfargo.com
@SGrantWF