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Community and Internet Resources

Housing: Down Payment and Mortgage Programs

State Down Payment Programs:
AL | AZ | CA | CO | FL | IL | MD | MA | MN | MS | MO | MT | NH | NY | NV | OK | OR | PA | TX | VA | WA | WI

(Official USPS State Abbreviations)

National

Ameridream, Inc. is a non-profit organization that grants low to moderate-income individuals with up to 5 percent of a home's purchase price for down payment. To be eligible for the program buyers must buy a home that is enrolled in the Ameridream program by a seller or builder and must qualify for a loan that allows gift funds. For more information, call (866) 263-7437 or e-mail info@ameridream.org.

Fannie Mae offers HomeChoice a mortgage program specifically designed for low- and moderate-income people who have disabilities or who have family members with disabilities living with them. HomeChoice mortgages offer flexibility in down payments, qualifying debt-to-income ratios, and credit history. This program is offered through local housing coalitions. For more information and to locate a coalition near you, call (800) 732-6643.

Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle in partnership with several lenders in Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington State, and Wyoming offers the HomeStart Savings Program (HSP). The HSP is designed to help low-income families accumulate funds for downpayment and closing costs by matching every $1 saved with $3, up to a maximum of $3,000 to $5,000 toward the purchase of a first home. Prospective homebuyers must be a first-time homebuyer and earn less than 80 percent of HUD's area median income in their community, adjusted for family size, complete a homebuyer education course, and qualify for a mortgage by the time the grant is awarded, and purchase a home within two years of enrolling in the Home$tart Savings Program. For more information or to locate a lender near you, call (800) 973-6223 or visit their website.

Habitat for Humanity International builds affordable housing for low-income families. Houses are sold at no profit, with no interest charged on the mortgage. Homeowners are responsible for making a down payment and monthly mortgage payments. In exchange for their Habitat house, homeowners must invest several hundred hours of their own labor -- sweat equity -- into building their Habitat house and the houses of others. To learn more about your local program, contact your local Habitat Affiliate or call (800) 422-4828.

National Council of State Housing Agencies provides information related to the programs provided State Housing Finance Agencies, which often provide various homebuyer programs including, downpayment assistance, mortgage assistance, and more.

NeighborWorks is a national network of more than 225 community-based organizations that offer a variety of programs to assist individuals purchase and maintain their homes. Many NeighborWorks organizations offer downpayment assistance as well as home repair programs. To locate a NeighborWorks organization in your area, visit their website and click on "NeighborWorks Lookup."

Partners in Charity is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping individuals become homeowners through gifting down payments to qualified buyers. Assistance is offered to all types of homebuyers, not just first-time buyers. Funds received for assistance need not be repaid. For more information or to learn of eligibility requirements, call (800) 705-8350.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development offers Homeownership Vouchers to assist eligible, first-time homeowners with their monthly homeownership expenses. Monthly homeownership expenses may include mortgage principal and interest, mortgage insurance premium, real estate taxes and homeowner insurance, Public Housing Agency (PHA) allowance for utilities, PHA allowance for routine maintenance costs, PHA allowance for major repairs and replacements, principal and interest on debt to finance major repairs and replacements for the home, and principal and interest on debt to finance costs to make the home accessible for a family member with disabilities if the PHA determines it is needed as a reasonable accommodation. To learn of your local eligibility requirements contact your local Public Housing Agency.

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State Listings

Arizona

Arizona Department of Housing (ADOH) makes resources available for home buying counseling, low interest mortgages, down payment and closing costs to help buyers purchase their first home through a network of non-profit agencies around the state. For more information, call (602) 771-1000 (Voice), (602) 771-1001 (TTY) or visit their Homeownership Assistance Webpage.

Family Housing Resources offers a range of assistance programs, including flexible mortgage programs and down payment and closing cost assistance, to first-time homebuyers in Arizona. To participate, potential buyers need to go through one of the participating lenders. For more information, call (800) 622-7462.

California

CalHome funds non-profit agencies that assist low-income homebuyers via first-time homebuyer downpayment programs. CalHome does not provide funds directly to individuals. To locate a participating agency, contact the California Department of Housing and Community Development at (916) 327-3646.

San Diego Housing Commission offers a first-time homebuyer program, down payment assistance and mortgage assistance. For more information, call (619) 231-9400 or e-mail Sdhcinfo@sdhc.org.

Colorado

Colorado Housing Assistance Corporation is a non-profit organization offering education on home ownership as well as direct assistance. To learn how they can assist you purchase a home call, (303) 572-9445 or e-mail colohac@aol.com.

Colorado Housing and Finance Authority offers several homebuyer assistance programs to low and medium income individuals and families. One such program, HomeStart, is a first-mortgage financing program for eligible Colorado home buyers that offers a competitive interest rate loan and cash assistance to help pay down payment and closing expenses. Income limits and purchase price limits apply, and borrowers must first complete a homebuyer education class. For more information, call (800) 877-2432, ext. 376 or (303) 297-7305 (TDD).

HERO Alliance is a non-profit organization that provides education, resources, and assistance for people with disabilities who seek homeownership opportunities in Colorado. It is a collaborative effort of lenders, local, state, and federal agency staff, nonprofits, developers, advocates, real estate professionals, and people with disabilities. To learn more about the options available to you in Colorado, call the alliance at (888) 401-HERO (4376).

Thistle Communities, located in Boulder, Colorado, offers a unique homeownership program called the Community Land Trust (CLT). Thistle offers CLT homes at below market sales prices. Thistle owns the land, and qualified families buy the homes. Thistle and the homebuyer signs a 99 year renewable Land Lease. Thistle works with the financial community to ensure that buyers have access to financing and downpayment assistance. Presently, there are 72 CLT homes owned by qualified home buyers; availability depends on resale by the current owners. Potential buyers must meet income, asset and occupancy guidelines and all other Thistle CLT qualifying criteria. The current maximum annual income is 80% of the Area Median Income. For more information, call (303) 443-0007 or e-mail info@thistlecommunities.org.

Florida

Florida Housing Finance Corporation offers several programs for low-income homebuyers. Via their First Time Homebuyer Program eligible low-to-moderate income families and individuals are offered fixed, low-interest rate mortgage loans, and down payment and closing cost assistance. Via the State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP), city and county governments provide down payment and closing cost assistance. Homebuyers whose incomes do not exceed 80% of their Area Median Income, may also qualify to purchase a home through the Homeownership Pool (“HOP”) Program, which provides a no-interest deferred loan to help with the costs of purchasing a home. For more information on any of these programs, call (850) 488-4197.

Georgia

Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) offers the Georgia Dream Homeownership Program, which makes purchasing a home more affordable for low-to-moderate income families and individuals by offering fixed, low-interest rate mortgage loans and downpayment assistance. To learn more, check out the Georgia Dream Homeownership Program Brochure or call (800) 359-4663.

Illinois

Illinois Homeownership Coalition for People with Disabilities, a program of the Illinois Assistive Technology Program, provides first-time homebuyers with disabilities a variety of services, including, pre-purchase education and counseling, property inspection, down payment, closing cost and access modification assistance, post-purchase follow-up and support and foreclosure intervention. For more information, contact the coalition at (800) 852-5110.

Maryland

Baltimore County via their Office of Community Conservation offers Homeownership Assistance to qualified low-income Baltimore County residents. Their Settlement Expense Loan Program is the agency's primary vehicle for promoting homeownership. The SELP program provides loans of up to $5,000 to cover closing costs to income-qualified, first-time homebuyers. The purchasing household can earn no more than 80 percent of the county median family income. To apply for assistance, call (410) 887-3124.

Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development offers a range of homeownership programs to low income Maryland residents, including the Homeownership for Individuals with Disabilities Program. Via this program, eligible individuals and families receive low-interest mortgage loans. For more information, call (800) 638-7781 or (410) 514-7530.

Massachusetts

Citizens Housing and Planning Association offers the Massachusetts Home of Your Own Program, which provides financial and informational assistance to low-income people with disabilities who are first-time homebuyers in Massachusetts. The Selection Committee for the Home of Your Own Program selects applicants with a variety of disabilities from across the state to receive one-on-one homebuyer counseling and approximately $7,500 in down payment and/or closing cost assistance. Household income must be at or below 80% of HUD's Area Median Income. Applicants must have at least $500 of their own funds to contribute to their down payment. For more information, call (617) 742-0820.

Minnesota

The Family Housing Fund is a non-profit organization serving low-to-moderate income families with housing programs in the seven-county metro area of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. The Fund provides grants and loans to assist families with closing costs, down payments, and mortgage debt. For more information, call (612) 375-9644.

Minnesota Housing Finance Agency offers a Homeownership Assistance Fund (HAF). HAF offers assistance to low to moderate income first time homebuyers participating in an MHFA program to purchase a home by providing zero interest, deferred loans up to $3,000 to help with down payment and closing costs. The program also offers monthly payment assistance of up to $60 per month to help pay a portion of the monthly mortgage payment and an equity contribution loan that may provide up to $10,000 or 10% of the purchase price for borrowers who qualify through the MHFA Community Activity Set Aside (CASA) program. For more information, call the MHFA Consumer Information Line at (651) 296-8215 or (800) 710-8871.

Mississippi

Mississippi Home Corporation provides several home-buying assistance programs, including the Home Of Your Own Project which assists people with disabilities and their families in locating counseling, supports, and provides up to a $15,000 grant which may allow them to purchase and maintain their own homes. They also offer several educational tools and homebuying workshops. For more information, call (601) 718-4636.

Missouri

Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC), via their "First Place" loan program, offers first-time homebuyers affordable, below market mortgage interest rates as well as a 4% cash assistance grant that can cover down payment and closing costs. For more information, call (800) 246-7973.

Montana

Montana Housing Division offers low-income first time homebuyers competitive interest rate mortgages and closing cost assistance. They can also help determine if you qualify for a Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC), a federal tax credit that lowers your income-tax liability, dollar-for-dollar, leaving you more money to use toward your mortgage. For more information, call (800) 761-6264

Nevada

Nevada Housing Division provides the First-Time Homebuyer Program, which offers low- and moderate- income first time homebuyers fixed interest rate 30-year loans with additional assistance available for down payment and closing costs. For more information, call the Southern Nevada office at (702) 486-7220 or the Northern Nevada Office at (775) 687-2040.

New Hampshire

New Hampshire Community Loan Fund lends money and helps low and moderate income people increase their self-sufficiency. Most loans are for affordable housing. They administer the New Hampahire's Individual Development Accounts (IDAs), special, matched savings accounts that help people with limited incomes save to buy a home. For more information, call (800) 432-4110.

New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority offers a range of assistance to lower income individuals wishing to purchase a home. They also administer the New Hampshire Home of Your Own program, providing mortgage funding and other support to assist lower income persons with developmental disabilities achieve the dream of home ownership. For more information, call (800) 649-0470 or e-mail ownershipinfo@nhhfa.org.

New York

Community Housing Innovations, Inc. is a non-profit organization offering homeownership assistance in Long Island and Westchester Counties in New York. Their program offers free counseling and up to $25,000 in down payment assistance for the purchase of a home. There are maximum household income and other requirements. For more information, contact the Long Island office at (631) 475-6390 or the Westchester office at (914) 683-1010 ext. 35.

Snow Belt Housing Company, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to seeing that all Lewis County, New York residents are able to afford a safe and decent place to live. They offer a number of assistance programs, including a home ownership assistance program, which awards grants to individuals for down payment on a home. They also offer low-interest home repair loans and home improvement grants. Income limits do apply. For more information, call (315) 376-2639 (Voice) or 800-662-1220 (TDD).

Oklahoma

Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency works with participating mortgage lenders statewide to provide 30-year fixed-rate low-interest home loans through OHFA Advantage (state bond money). Interest rates are below market rate loans. The most popular type of loan offers four percent down payment and closing cost assistance. OHFA also offers new construction loans. To locate a participating lender, visit the agency website or call (800) 256-1489 (Voice), (405) 848-7471 (TDD).

Oregon

Portland Housing Center is an educational resource center for renters, landlords, homebuyers and homeowners. They offer several programs to assist individuals with home ownership, including low downpayment loans and low interest loans. For more information, call (503) 282-7744.

Oregon Housing and Community Services helps low and moderate-income families in Oregon buy their first home by providing below-market rate financing and cash assistance through its Residential Loan Program. For more information, call (877) 788-2663.

Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA), offers a variety of programs for first-time homebuyers, including buyer education, downpayment and closing cost assistance, and flexible mortgages. The PHFA also offers a variety of programs specifically for people with disabilities, including the Fannie Mae HomeChoice Mortgage Program, the HOMEstead Program, which offers a up to a $14,999 no interest downpayment and closing cost assistance loan, and the Access Home Modification Program, which offers a zero-interest loan between $1,000 and $10,000 for accessibility modifications. For more information on any of the programs described above, call (717) 780-3871 or (800) 822-1174 or visit the PHFA webpage for Special Programs for Persons with Disabilities.

Texas

Texas Home of Your Own Coalition works one-on-one with people with disabilities, helping them become homeowners. Eligible households can quality for $15,000 in down payment and closing cost assistance. This program is available in the following counties: Dallas, Fort Bend, Harris, Johnson, Montgomery, Parker, and Tarrant. For more information, call (512) 472-9195.

Virginia

Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), offers the HOMEownership Down Payment Assistance program, which provides down payment and closing cost assistance to individuals and families whose income is at or below 80 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI). A homebuyer meeting may receive up to 10 percent of the purchase price of a home for down payment, plus up to $2,500 to pay for the cost of closing. They also administer the Virginia Individual Development Accounts (VIDA) program, a special savings account program that triples your savings: VIDA matches $2 for every $1 you save in a VIDA account. Matching funds are limited to $4,000 per participant with a maximum of two participants per household. For more information on either of these programs, call (804) 371-7000.

Washington

Washington State Housing Finance Commission offers numerous homeownership programs. Homebuyers must complete a Homebuyer Education Seminar to participate in their programs. One such program is the HomeChoice Program, a down payment assistance, second mortgage loan program for qualified borrowers who have a disability or who have a family member with a disability living with them. Qualified homebuyers can receive up to $15,000. Homebuyers must receive financing through a participating lender. To learn more about HomeChoice and the various other programs available, call (800) 767-4663.

Wisconsin

Housing Resources, Inc. provides a number of programs that provide down payment and closing cost grants to eligible, low-income homebuyers. For more information, call the Milwaukee office, (414)461-6330 or the Racine office, (262)636-8271.

Movin' Out, Inc. offers a range of programs for homebuyers with disabilities. Via their Affordable Housing Program, families that include an individual with a disability, have a household income under 80% of the county median income, and are first-time homebuyers, may qualify for a deferred down payment loan that is forgivable (it does not have to be paid back) if the homebuyer remains in the house for 5 years. Buyers must complete a home buyer education course. Homes may be purchased throughout the state of Wisconsin. For more information, call (877) 861-6746.

Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) offers homebuying assistance to low-income residents of Wisconsin who are also first-time homebuyers. They not only offer flexible home mortgages but also offer loans for closing costs. For more information, call (800) 334-6873 (Voice) or (800) 943-9430 (TTY).

Wisconsin Partnership for Housing Development (WPHD) provides down payment assistance to first-time homebuyers in Wisconsin. For more information, call the Madison office, (608) 258-5560 or the Milwaukee office, (414) 226-0380.

Canada

Community Housing Land Trust Foundation (CHLTF) administers the Disability Trust, a program that provides no fee, no interest loans to low-income individuals with physical disabilities to pay the share purchase of a Co-Op. For more information, call 1-866-879-5111 ext. 141.

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