Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim on Thursday offered people up to $15,000 each if they buy a house in the city.

Joann Smith needed a little bit of help to afford her home at 288 Oakwood St. The city chipped in $10,000 toward her down payment.

That program has been around for about four years, according to Ginne-Rae Clay, of Bridgeport Economic Development, but few people have claimed that money because they did not qualify. Buyers first had to come with 2 percent down out of pocket.

Mayor Ganim dropped the requirement to 1 percent, which is helpful for buyers with low credit scores.

Smith calls the help a holiday miracle.

By Thursday evening, there were about 20 slots left in the program.