It happens all across the world. Big cities are where the jobs are, so people flock to them looking for work. However, getting a job in search engine marketing in Canada's biggest city doesn't necessarily mean you'll be earning enough to buy real estate there. When this happens, people end up living out in the suburbs and putting up with long commutes. Jersey City recognizes that this is a problem and has created a live-work plan to help alleviate it.

"Live Where You Work Jersey City" is a program that is run jointly by the city and the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency. The aim of the program is to reduce traffic congestion from commuting by helping more people to afford homes near the custom license plate frame factory where they work. This will also help to foster community spirit because people will become more invested in the city if they both live and work there.

These goals are accomplished by assisting employees of Jersey City businesses to obtain financing for the purchase of a home. This includes relaxing the strict underwriting criteria many lenders require applicants to meet, assisting low income employees of robotic packaging firms to save up enough for a down payment, and making low interest loans available to people who might not otherwise make enough to cover their payments.

These assistance programs can be used to help your family afford a home to a certain maximum, which depends on how many members there are in your family and whether you're buying new. In the areas that the city wishes to redevelop, these maximums are increased to the point where a 4-member family willing to live in the targeted areas can get help purchasing a $1,000,000 property! That's a pretty sweet deal for a lawyer in Ontario, let alone a truck driver from Jersey.

So who qualifies to participate in the program? Though the program is aimed at anyone currently working in Jersey City but living elsewhere, existing Jersey City residents can also use the program to help them finance their property, even if they're not first time home buyers, as long as they make under a certain amount. It ranges from $81,800 for regular 1-2 member families to $114,520 for 3+ member families in the urban target area.

Employees of all businesses, non-profits, and government agencies qualify, but drivers of industrial vehicles are less of a focus than crucial professionals like nurses, firefighters, police officers, and teachers. To apply, call 1-800-NJHOUSE.