As housing prices in the Bay Area continue to skyrocket, many buyers interested in starter homes are being priced out of the market. But a new program is offering some relief to those in this situation, according to the Mercury News

Housing Trust Silicon Valley is launching a program called the Homebuyer Empowerment Loan Program, or H.E.L.P., to assist middle-income earners in making down payments on houses. The goal is to help potential homeowners who have healthy salaries yet still cannot afford a Bay Area home. 

For now, the program is seeking interested buyers looking to purchase homes for up to $800,000 throughout Santa Clara County, as well as parts of San Mateo County, including East Palo Alto. Loans will be made to households earning up to 140 percent of the area median income. In Santa Clara County, the median income for a family of four is $113,300, so the maximum salary a family could earn and still qualify for H.E.L.P. is $158,620.

If the program is successful in helping homeowners, the Housing Trust will likely expand to even more counties.