7 Places That Will Pay You to Live There

New Haven, Conn
Incentives: Down-payment assistance, loans for home renovation, and free in-state college tuition

New Haven has been undergoing a revitalization, tackling its high crime rate and breathing life back into vacant buildings and abandoned neighborhoods. But the city is still plagued by a homeownership rate of just 31%—about half the national and state averages. To lure home buyers, New Haven is offering as much as $80,000 in incentives through three programs.

First-time homebuyers who meet income and other requirements can receive a loan of up to $10,000 for a down payment or closing costs. City employees, teachers, police officers, firefighters and military members can get an additional $2,500. The loan is forgiven after five years as long as the homeowner doesn’t sell the house. Homeowners can also receive a forgivable loan of up to $30,000 for energy-saving home upgrades, such as the installation of a new roof, siding, insulation, furnace or electrical wiring. They don’t have to pay it back if they stay in their home for 10 years. And New Haven sweetens the pot even more with the guarantee of free tuition to any Connecticut college for students who graduate from the city’s public schools in good academic standing.