Wells Fargo commits $4.1 million to boost Midlands homeownership

Wells Fargo Bank will make $4.1 million available to home buyers in an attempt to boost homeownership in Richland and Lexington counties, the company said Wednesday.

The money will be available to eligible buyers in the form of matching grants ranging from $2,500 up to $7,500, which can be used for the down payment on a home financed through any qualified lender, including Wells Fargo, the company said. The amount of each grant will depend upon the match put up by the buyer and should be applied for by the potential homebuyer, Wells Fargo said.

“This is a program that’s been in place since 2012: we’ve done it in a number of communities across the country and it has had (significant) impact” in them, said Holt Chetwood, Wells Fargo Midlands market president.

The bank is sponsoring a free homebuyer event July 29-30 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, where eligibility for the matching grants will be determined. The homebuyer event begins at 10 a.m. each of the two days and lasts until 7 p.m.. It is the first step in the Wells Fargo NeighborhoodLIFT program. Potential homebuyers can register for the event at www.NeighborhoodLIFT.com or by calling (866) 858-2151.

This story was originally published July 13, 2016 at 6:02 PM.