New York down payment assistance with SONYMA
Pick your New York county, income and price: the SONYMA loan amount, the rate it adds to your mortgage, and what is left to bring.
Help you may get in Erie County
$7,500
SONYMA Down Payment Assistance Loan (DPAL): forgivable loan, 10 years. 0 programs likely fit, 1 to check.
| Your income vs. area median for 3 people | 88% |
| HUD 80% income limit, 3 people | $73,100 |
| Down payment at 3.5% | $8,750 |
| Cash still needed with the help | $1,250 |
| Monthly payment, no help | $1,670 |
| Monthly payment, with the help | $1,737 |
| FHA limit · conforming limit | $541,287 · $832,750 |
Programs read on the State of New York Mortgage Agency (SONYMA), part of NYS Homes and Community Renewal 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SONYMA Down Payment Assistance Loan (DPAL) | Check with the agency | $7,500 | Forgivable loan, 10 years | county income limit not transcribed: see the agency table; price limit by county: see the agency table |
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
New York's statewide help is the Down Payment Assistance Loan (DPAL) of the State of New York Mortgage Agency, SONYMA, part of Homes and Community Renewal. It pays the greater of $3,000 or 3% of the price, up to $15,000, as a 0% loan with no monthly payment that is forgiven after 10 years: the amount you would repay falls by one 120th each month you live in the home. It comes only with a SONYMA first mortgage, such as Achieving the Dream or the Low Interest Rate program, for first-time buyers, with veterans and targeted areas exempt. The cost is in the rate: a first mortgage with a DPAL carries a rate 0.4 point higher. In Erie County, a household of three earning $80,000 buying at $250,000 gets $7,500, and pays about $66 more a month for it. SONYMA's income and price limits vary by county; the calculator flags them to confirm.
The DPAL, as SONYMA describes it
| Program | Amount | Repayment (agency wording) | First-time only | Min. credit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SONYMA Down Payment Assistance Loan (DPAL) | the greater of $3,000 or 3% of the purchase price, up to $15,000; $1,000 minimum | 0% interest, no monthly payments, forgiven after 10 years; the amount subject to repayment drops by 1/120 each month of occupancy | yes | open |
The amount formula has a floor and a ceiling. Below a price of $100,000, the $3,000 floor applies; above $500,000, the $15,000 cap does. In between it is 3% of the price, which is a little less than the 3.5% FHA minimum down payment. We could not read hcr.ny.gov directly, as it blocks scripted access; the terms come from the indexed text of its official pages.
Upstate and downstate
| County | HUD median (4 people) | HUD 80% limit (3 people) | FHA limit | Conforming limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kings County | $104,300 | $122,150 | $1,249,125 | $1,209,750 |
| Queens County | $104,300 | $122,150 | $1,249,125 | $1,209,750 |
| New York County | $104,300 | $122,150 | $1,249,125 | $1,209,750 |
| Bronx County | $104,300 | $122,150 | $1,249,125 | $1,209,750 |
| Suffolk County | $164,300 | $115,300 | $1,249,125 | $1,209,750 |
| Nassau County | $164,300 | $115,300 | $1,249,125 | $1,209,750 |
| Westchester County | $164,200 | $113,300 | $1,249,125 | $1,209,750 |
| Erie County | $101,500 | $73,100 | $541,287 | $832,750 |
| Monroe County | $107,000 | $77,050 | $541,287 | $832,750 |
| Onondaga County | $106,800 | $76,950 | $541,287 | $832,750 |
| Albany County | $123,100 | $88,650 | $541,287 | $832,750 |
The five boroughs share one HUD area, with a median of $104,300 and the FHA ceiling of $1,249,125. Upstate counties are a different market: Erie at $101,500, Albany at $123,100, both at the FHA floor. On a typical upstate home the DPAL covers most of the down payment; in the city it hits its cap well before that, so most buyers there still bring most of their own money.
Your New York county
Help you may get in Kings County
$15,000
| Your income vs. area median for 3 people | 128% |
| HUD 80% income limit, 3 people | $122,150 |
| Down payment at 3.5% | $21,000 |
| Cash still needed with the help | $6,000 |
Erie County, worked through
| Program | Result | Amount | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| SONYMA Down Payment Assistance Loan (DPAL) | Check with the agency | $7,500 | county income limit not transcribed: see the agency table; price limit by county: see the agency table |
The monthly principal and interest goes from $1,670 to $1,737 with the rate increase. The cash for the down payment falls from $8,750 to $1,250. For a buyer who would otherwise wait two or three years to save $7,500, the trade is usually worth it; for one who has the money, the higher rate is a cost for the life of the loan.
Before you apply in New York
SONYMA lends only through participating lenders, and its income and purchase price limits are set by county, with higher figures in targeted areas. Ask the lender for the limits that apply to your address and for two quotes, with and without the DPAL, so the rate difference is in writing. City and county programs in New York City, Buffalo and elsewhere can sometimes be added; the SONYMA lender knows which ones it accepts.
Keep the closing date and the 120-month schedule with your papers. If you plan to move within a few years, the share still owed is easy to work out: one 120th of the loan disappears for each month of occupancy, so the sooner you sell, the larger the payoff at the closing table. Renting the home out instead of living in it also ends the forgiveness, since it is tied to occupancy.