Down payment assistance programs, state by state
Choose a state and a county: each program of the state agency is checked against your income, price, credit and first-time status.
Help you may get in Miami-Dade County
$18,335
Hometown Heroes Program: deferred loan, repaid when you sell or refinance. 0 programs likely fit, 2 to check.
| Your income vs. area median for 3 people | 111% |
| HUD 80% income limit, 3 people | $98,100 |
| Down payment at 3.5% | $13,300 |
| Cash still needed with the help | $0 |
| Monthly payment, no help | $2,539 |
| Monthly payment, with the help | $2,539 |
| FHA limit · conforming limit | $667,000 · $832,750 |
Programs read on the Florida Housing Finance Corporation pages; HUD FY 2026 limits; payment = principal and interest over 30 years at 7.4% (Freddie Mac, October 15, 2026). The approved lender confirms eligibility.
| Program | Fit | Amount | Form | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hometown Heroes Program | Check with the agency | $18,335 | Deferred loan, repaid when you sell or refinance | county income limit not transcribed: see the agency table; extra condition the calculator cannot check |
| Florida Assist (FL Assist) | Check with the agency | $10,000 | Deferred loan, repaid when you sell or refinance | county income limit not transcribed: see the agency table; price limit by county: see the agency table |
| HFA Preferred PLUS / HFA Advantage PLUS second mortgage | Does not fit | $18,335 | Forgivable loan, 5 years | county income limit not transcribed: see the agency table; price limit by county: see the agency table; not offered with this type of first mortgage |
Prepared by Radif Partners · Method · updated: HUD 2026 limits effective May 1, 2026 · Freddie Mac rate of October 15, 2026 · programs read on October 21, 2026
A down payment assistance program is a set of rules attached to money: an amount, often a percentage of the price or of the first mortgage, a form, grant, forgivable, deferred or repayable, and conditions on income, price, credit score and prior ownership. We read 41 programs on the pages of 18 state housing finance agencies, 40 of them taking applications in October 2026. In Miami-Dade County, a household of three earning $90,000 buying at $380,000 with an FHA loan is at 111% of the area median for its size; the largest help it likely fits is Hometown Heroes Program, $18,335. In Franklin County, Ohio, the same household buying at $280,000 can draw $9,800 from OHFA Down Payment Assistance. The table below lists every program with the agency's own wording.
What the 41 programs have in common
Almost all of them work the same way: the agency, or a lender on its behalf, makes a first mortgage at a fixed rate, FHA, VA, USDA or conventional, and adds a second lien that pays the down payment and part of the closing costs. The second lien is what people call down payment assistance. Its size is usually a percentage, between 3% and 6% of the first mortgage or of the price, sometimes a fixed sum. The agency keeps the right to recover it if you sell early, which is why the form matters as much as the amount.
What differs from state to state is the generosity and the conditions. Ohio pays 3% of the purchase price with a conventional loan or 3.5% with an FHA, VA or USDA loan, forgiven after 7 years. Florida's Florida Assist (FL Assist) is up to $10,000 on FHA, VA, USDA and Conventional loans, deferred at 0% until you sell or refinance. Texas lends up to 5% of the first mortgage and lets you choose between a 30-year deferred loan and a 3-year forgivable one. New Jersey sets the amount by county, $15,000 in its higher-cost northern counties and $10,000 in the south.
| State | Program | Amount (agency wording) | Form | Income limit | Min. credit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | Home Plus Down Payment Assistance | up to 4% assistance for down payment and closing costs (forgivable and non-forgivable options) | Forgivable loan, 5 years | $155,386 | per lender | open |
| California | MyHome Assistance Program | up to the lesser of 3.5% of the purchase price or appraised value with a CalHFA FHA first loan; 3% with Conventional, USDA or VA | Deferred loan, repaid when you sell or refinance | by county | per lender | open |
| California | California Dream For All Shared Appreciation Loan | up to 20% of the sales price or $150,000, whichever is lower | Shared-appreciation loan | by county | per lender | not taking applications |
| Colorado | CHFA Down Payment Assistance Grant | up to 3% of the first mortgage loan amount | Grant, never repaid | by county | 620 | open |
| Colorado | CHFA Down Payment Assistance Second Mortgage Loan | up to 4% of the first mortgage loan amount | Deferred loan, repaid when you sell or refinance | by county | 620 | open |
| Florida | Hometown Heroes Program | up to 5% of the first mortgage amount, maximum $35,000, minimum $10,000 | Deferred loan, repaid when you sell or refinance | by county | per lender | open |
| Florida | Florida Assist (FL Assist) | up to $10,000 on FHA, VA, USDA and Conventional loans | Deferred loan, repaid when you sell or refinance | by county | per lender | open |
| Florida | HFA Preferred PLUS / HFA Advantage PLUS second mortgage | 3%, 4% or 5% of the first mortgage loan amount | Forgivable loan, 5 years | by county | per lender | open |
| Georgia | Georgia Dream Homeownership Program | up to $10,000 (Peach Plus announcement: the lesser of 3.5% of the purchase price or $10,000; loan program page: the lesser of 5% or $10,000) | Deferred loan, repaid when you sell or refinance | by county | 640 | open |
| Illinois | IHDA Access Home | 6% of the purchase price up to $15,000 | Deferred loan, repaid when you sell or refinance | by county | 640 | open |
| Illinois | IHDA Access Forgivable | 4% of the purchase price up to $6,000 | Forgivable loan, 10 years | by county | 640 | open |
| Illinois | IHDA Access Deferred | 5% of the purchase price up to $7,500 | Deferred loan, repaid when you sell or refinance | by county | 640 | open |
| Illinois | IHDA Access Repayable | 10% of the purchase price up to $10,000 | Monthly-payment loan, 10 years at 0% | by county | 640 | open |
| Maryland | MMP 1st Time Advantage 3%, 4% or 5% | a DPA loan equal to 3%, 4% or 5% of the first mortgage, depending on the product chosen | Deferred loan, repaid when you sell or refinance | by county | per lender | open |
| Maryland | MMP 1st Time Advantage 6000 | a $6,000 loan for down payment and closing costs, plus Partner Match where an approved partner contributes | Deferred loan, repaid when you sell or refinance | by county | per lender | open |
| Massachusetts | MassHousing Down Payment Assistance, Option 1 (deferred) | up to $30,000 | Deferred loan, repaid when you sell or refinance | by county | per lender | open |
| Massachusetts | MassHousing Down Payment Assistance, Option 2 (2%, 15 years) | up to $25,000 | Monthly-payment loan, 15 years at 2% | by county | per lender | open |
| Massachusetts | MassHousing Down Payment Assistance, Option 3 (3%, 15 years) | up to $25,000 | Monthly-payment loan, 15 years at 3% | by county | per lender | open |
| Michigan | MSHDA MI 10K DPA Loan | up to $10,000 | Deferred loan, repaid when you sell or refinance | by county | 640 | open |
| New Jersey | NJHMFA Down Payment Assistance (with the First-Time Homebuyer Mortgage) | up to $15,000 or $10,000 depending on the county | Forgivable loan, 5 years | by county | per lender | open |
| New Jersey | NJHMFA First Generation Down Payment Assistance | $7,000 on top of the NJHMFA DPA, for a total of $17,000 to $22,000 | Forgivable loan, 5 years | by county | per lender | open |
| New York | SONYMA Down Payment Assistance Loan (DPAL) | the greater of $3,000 or 3% of the purchase price, up to $15,000; $1,000 minimum | Forgivable loan, 10 years | by county | per lender | open |
| North Carolina | NC Home Advantage Mortgage with 3% DPA | up to 3% of the first mortgage loan amount | Forgivable loan, 15 years | $158,000 | 640 | open |
| North Carolina | NC 1st Home Advantage Down Payment | $15,000 | Forgivable loan, 15 years | by county | per lender | open |
| Ohio | OHFA Down Payment Assistance | 3% of the purchase price with a conventional loan or 3.5% with an FHA, VA or USDA loan | Forgivable loan, 7 years | by county | 640 | open |
| Ohio | Grants for Grads | Forgivable loan, 5 years | none stated | per lender | open | |
| Ohio | OHFA Mortgage Tax Credit | federal tax credit on a portion of mortgage interest, up to $2,000 a year | Federal tax credit | none stated | per lender | open |
| Pennsylvania | PHFA K-FIT (Keystone Forgivable in Ten Years) | 5% of the lesser of the purchase price or appraised value, no maximum dollar limit | Forgivable loan, 10 years | by county | 660 | open |
| Pennsylvania | PHFA Keystone Advantage Assistance Loan | 4% of the purchase price or market value, or $6,000, whichever is less | Monthly-payment loan, 10 years at 0% | by county | 660 | open |
| Tennessee | THDA Great Choice Plus, deferred option | up to $6,000 or up to $10,000 | Forgivable loan, 10 years | by county | 640 | open |
| Tennessee | THDA Great Choice Plus, amortizing option | up to 5% of the sales price, maximum $15,000 | Monthly-payment loan, 30 years | by county | 640 | open |
| Texas | My First Texas Home | $5 | Deferred loan, repaid when you sell or refinance | by county | 620 | open |
| Texas | My Choice Texas Home | $5 | Deferred loan, repaid when you sell or refinance | by county | 620 | open |
| Texas | Texas Mortgage Credit Certificate | federal tax credit on part of the mortgage interest each year | Federal tax credit | by county | per lender | open |
| Virginia | Virginia Housing Down Payment Assistance Grant | 2% of the lesser of sales price or appraised value with a conventional bond loan, 2.5% with an FHA bond loan; down payment only | Grant, never repaid | by county | 620 | open |
| Virginia | Virginia Housing Plus Second Mortgage | up to 5% of the purchase price, depending on credit score and first-mortgage type | Monthly-payment loan | by county | per lender | open |
| Washington | Home Advantage Downpayment Assistance | 3%, 4% or 5% of the first-mortgage loan amount at 0% interest | Deferred loan, repaid when you sell or refinance | $215,000 | per lender | open |
| Washington | Home Advantage Needs-Based DPA | up to $10,000 at 1% simple interest, for homes under $250,000 | Deferred loan, repaid when you sell or refinance | by county | per lender | open |
| Washington | House Key Opportunity DPA | up to $15,000 at 1% simple interest | Deferred loan, repaid when you sell or refinance | by county | per lender | open |
| Washington | Covenant Homeownership Program | up to 20% of the cost of the home, up to $150,000, plus closing costs | Deferred loan, repaid when you sell or refinance | none stated | per lender | open |
| Washington | Veterans Downpayment Assistance Program | up to $10,000 at 3% interest | Deferred loan, repaid when you sell or refinance | by county | per lender | open |
How to read the table against your own case
Start with the column that eliminates the most people: the income limit. If it says "by county", the calculator uses the agency's county table when we transcribed it (Texas, Ohio, New Jersey) and otherwise flags the program for you to check on the agency's link. Then the price limit, which follows the county in bond programs and is often close to the FHA limit. Then the credit floor, then the first-time rule. The amount comes last, because a generous program you cannot enter is worth nothing.
Your share of area median income
Your income as a share of the Franklin County median
90%
| HUD median family income (4 people) | $111,500 |
| 100% of median, 3 people | $100,350 |
| HUD 80% low-income limit, 3 people | $80,300 |
| 120% of median (common program cap) | $120,420 |
When a program says it is closed
Agencies fund their programs year by year. When the money for the year is reserved, the program stops taking reservations until the next allocation, even though its page often stays online. We keep such programs in the table with their status in the agency's words, so you can see what existed and watch for its return, and the calculator never counts them in the amount you may get. In October 2026 that applies to California's Dream For All. Florida's Hometown Heroes went through the same cycle: its 2025-2026 money was fully committed in February 2026, and a 2026 lender guide has been posted since, without a published balance, so the calculator marks it to confirm.
States not in the table yet
For the other states, the calculator still gives your share of HUD area median income, the FHA and conforming limits of your county and your monthly payment, and the home page lists each one. We add a state once its agency's terms have been read on its own pages and its program pages answer; a state whose pages cannot be read is not filled in from secondary sites.