Ameris Bank has rolled out the Ameris Choice program, which is designed to provide up to $20,000 in assistance to qualified applicants in the Jacksonville, Florida, area for the purchase or refinancing a home.
The program is available for individuals purchasing or refinancing a primary residence in a majority Black and Hispanic census tract in Jacksonville and is also available to individuals currently residing in a majority Black and Hispanic census tract in Jacksonville looking to purchase of a primary residence in Baker, Clay, Duval, or St. Johns counties in Florida.
According to the Atlanta-headquartered bank, Ameris Choice allows qualified borrowers to choose how their assistance funds are applied – either as a combination of down payment assistance, closing cost assistance or permanent rate buydown. The $20,000 may be used with a conventional, FHA or VA first mortgage.
The program follows Ameris Bank’s $9 million settlement last October with the U.S. Department of Justice to resolve allegations that the lender engaged in redlining against predominantly Black and Hispanic communities in Jacksonville.
“Ameris Choice underscores our commitment to providing equitable opportunities to home buyers in the Jacksonville area,” said Palmer Proctor, CEO of Ameris. “This new program will help more people realize the dream of homeownership, and we are proud of the work we’re doing to build stronger communities.”
Ameris Bank is a subsidiary of Ameris Bancorp (NASDAQ: ABCB).
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