Down payment assistance, state by state
You rarely need 20% down. Every state runs a housing finance agency with grants or low-interest loans that cover part of the down payment and closing costs for first-time and moderate-income buyers. Find your state's program below.
How down payment assistance works
Down payment assistance (DPA) doesn't replace your mortgage — it sits on top of a normal first loan and covers some or all of the cash you'd otherwise bring to closing. It comes in three shapes:
- Grants — free money you never repay, usually a fixed percentage of the loan.
- Forgivable second loans — a loan that's cancelled after you live in the home a set number of years.
- Deferred or low-interest second mortgages — repaid over time, or when you sell or refinance.
Most programs require an income within local limits, a credit score around 620–640, a home price under a cap and a short homebuyer-education course. "First-time buyer" typically means you haven't owned in the last three years — so it isn't only for first-timers.
Down payment assistance programs by state
51 state housing agencies| State | Housing agency | Flagship assistance |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | CHFA | CHFA Down Payment Assistance offers a low-interest second mortgage of up to $25,000. |
| Maine | MaineHousing | The First Home Loan program pairs with $5,000–$10,000 Advantage down-payment help. |
| Massachusetts | MassHousing | MassHousing down-payment assistance covers up to 10% (max $50,000 in some cities). |
| New Hampshire | NH Housing | NH Housing offers up to $15,000 in cash down-payment assistance. |
| New Jersey | NJHMFA | The NJHMFA Down Payment Assistance program provides up to $15,000. |
| New York | SONYMA | SONYMA’s Down Payment Assistance Loan offers up to $15,000 (or 3%). |
| Pennsylvania | PHFA | The Keystone Advantage program lends up to $6,000 for down payment and closing. |
| Rhode Island | RIHousing | The RI 10kDPA and Extra Assistance programs help with the down payment. |
| Vermont | VHFA | VHFA ASSIST grants up to $15,000 toward down payment and closing costs. |
| State | Housing agency | Flagship assistance |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois | IHDA | IHDA Access programs provide up to $10,000 in down-payment assistance. |
| Indiana | IHCDA | The First Place program offers down-payment assistance up to 6%. |
| Iowa | Iowa Finance Authority | The FirstHome Plus program adds down-payment and closing-cost assistance. |
| Kansas | KHRC | Kansas offers first-time buyer down-payment loans through participating lenders. |
| Michigan | MSHDA | The MI 10K DPA loan provides up to $10,000 toward the down payment statewide. |
| Minnesota | Minnesota Housing | Monthly Payment and Deferred Payment loans provide up to $18,000 in assistance. |
| Missouri | MHDC | The First Place program offers cash assistance up to 4% of the loan. |
| Nebraska | NIFA | NIFA’s Homebuyer Assistance program covers down payment and closing costs. |
| North Dakota | NDHFA | The DCA and Start programs provide down-payment and closing-cost help. |
| Ohio | OHFA | OHFA’s Your Choice! grant offers 2.5% or 5% down-payment assistance. |
| South Dakota | SDHDA | The SDHDA Down Payment Assistance program adds a fixed-rate second loan. |
| Wisconsin | WHEDA | The WHEDA Capital Access and Easy Close programs provide down-payment help. |
| State | Housing agency | Flagship assistance |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | AHFA | Step Up offers a 10-year second mortgage covering the down payment. |
| Arkansas | ADFA | ADFA Move-Up adds a down-payment assistance second lien of up to $15,000. |
| Delaware | DSHA | DSHA Preferred Plus provides down-payment and closing-cost assistance. |
| District of Columbia | DCHFA | The DC Open Doors program offers down-payment assistance as a deferred loan. |
| Florida | Florida Housing | Florida Assist and the Hometown Heroes program provide down-payment help. |
| Georgia | Georgia DCA | The Georgia Dream program offers $10,000–$12,500 in down-payment assistance. |
| Kentucky | KHC | KHC offers regular and affordable down-payment assistance loans up to $10,000. |
| Louisiana | LHC | The LHC Resilience and MRB programs provide down-payment assistance. |
| Maryland | Maryland DHCD | The Maryland Mortgage Program offers down-payment assistance and partner-match funds. |
| Mississippi | MHC | The Smart Solution program offers 3.5% down-payment assistance. |
| North Carolina | NCHFA | The NC Home Advantage Mortgage offers up to 3% down-payment assistance. |
| Oklahoma | OHFA | OHFA Homebuyer Down Payment Assistance grants up to 3.5%. |
| South Carolina | SC Housing | SC Housing offers up to $10,000 in forgivable down-payment assistance. |
| Tennessee | THDA | The Great Choice Plus program offers up to 6% in down-payment assistance. |
| Texas | TDHCA | My First Texas Home and TSAHC grants provide up to 5% down-payment help. |
| Virginia | Virginia Housing | Virginia Housing offers a down-payment grant and a forgivable second mortgage. |
| West Virginia | WVHDF | The WVHDF program offers a low-interest down-payment and closing-cost loan. |
| State | Housing agency | Flagship assistance |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | AHFC | AHFC pairs low-rate first mortgages with interest-rate reductions for first-time buyers. |
| Arizona | Arizona IDA | The HOME Plus program provides a grant of up to 5% of the loan amount. |
| California | CalHFA | MyHome and the Dream For All shared-appreciation loan help with the down payment. |
| Colorado | CHFA | CHFA DPA grants or second mortgages cover up to 3–5% of the first loan. |
| Hawaii | HHFDC | HHFDC offers below-market financing and down-payment programs for residents. |
| Idaho | Idaho Housing | Idaho Housing offers down-payment and closing-cost assistance up to 7%. |
| Montana | Montana Housing | The Bond Advantage program provides down-payment assistance loans. |
| Nevada | Nevada Housing Division | The Home Is Possible program grants up to 4% of the loan amount. |
| New Mexico | MFA Housing NM | FirstDown and DownPaymentAdvantage provide up to $25,000 in assistance. |
| Oregon | Oregon Housing (OHCS) | Oregon’s down-payment assistance grants are offered through partner organizations. |
| Utah | Utah Housing | Utah Housing offers second-mortgage down-payment loans up to 6%. |
| Washington | WSHFC | The WSHFC Home Advantage DPA lends up to 4% of the loan amount. |
| Wyoming | WCDA | The WCDA Home$tart and Amortizing DPA cover down-payment and closing costs. |
Programs and terms are set by each state Housing Finance Agency and change periodically — confirm current eligibility, income limits and funding availability on the agency's site before applying.
Frequently asked
What is down payment assistance?
Down payment assistance (DPA) is money — a grant, a forgivable loan or a low-interest second mortgage — that helps cover the down payment and sometimes closing costs on a home.
Most programs are run by state Housing Finance Agencies (HFAs) and are aimed at first-time or moderate-income buyers. You still take out a normal first mortgage; the assistance sits on top of it.
Who qualifies for down payment assistance?
Eligibility varies by program, but most require an income at or below a set limit for your area and household size, a minimum credit score (often 620–640), a home price under a cap, and completion of a homebuyer-education course.
Many programs define "first-time buyer" as anyone who hasn't owned a home in the past three years, so past owners can often re-qualify.
Do you have to pay back down payment assistance?
It depends on the structure. Grants never have to be repaid. Forgivable loans are wiped out after you live in the home for a set number of years.
Deferred and low-interest second mortgages are repaid — either monthly, or as a lump sum when you sell or refinance. Always confirm the repayment terms before accepting an offer.
Can you use down payment assistance with an FHA or VA loan?
Usually yes. Most HFA programs pair their assistance with conventional, FHA, VA or USDA first mortgages. VA and USDA loans already allow zero down, but assistance can still help with closing costs.
Check that your chosen lender participates in the program — not every lender is approved to originate HFA loans.
Before you apply
Run your numbers first so you know what you're working with. See the price you can carry with the affordability calculator, estimate your monthly payment in the mortgage calculator, and check current mortgage rates and your state's approval odds before you talk to a lender.