Where To Find Down Payment Assistance Programs
Published Last updated
Down payment assistance is administered by state housing finance agencies, cities, counties, Federal Home Loan Banks, nonprofits, employers and lenders — and none of them publish each other's programs. Here is every source worth checking, in the order that finds the most money.
Quick answer: Where do you find legitimate assistance programs?
Legitimate assistance comes from state housing finance agencies, city and county housing departments, HUD-approved nonprofits, and employer or union housing benefits. Every real program publishes its own terms on its own site. If a program asks you for an application fee to be considered, treat that as a warning sign.
TL;DR
- State HFA, city and county housing offices, HUD-approved nonprofits, employers.
- Every real program publishes its terms publicly.
- No legitimate program charges you a fee to find out if you qualify.
Quick questions
- Are there national programs?
- A few nationwide products exist through lender networks, but most assistance is state or locally funded and locally administered.
Published Last updated
- Reviewed September 2026
Assistance comes in four layers
Buyers who only check one source usually find one program. The money is layered, and each layer is administered by a different body that does not advertise the others.
Work outward from the property address: the state agency covers everyone, the county covers a smaller group with a bigger award, the city covers a smaller group still, and employer or lender programs sit on top of all of it.
- State: your housing finance agency, available statewide, largest number of participating lenders.
- County and city: HOME, CDBG and local housing trust funds, often the largest single awards, frequently restricted to specific neighborhoods.
- Federal and quasi-federal: Federal Home Loan Bank set-asides, USDA and VA zero-down financing, and tribal programs through Section 184.
- Private: employer-assisted housing, union benefits, lender-funded grants and nonprofit matched savings accounts.
Where to look, and what each source actually has
These are the public bodies and national networks that either administer assistance directly or maintain the authoritative list for their area. Every link below goes to the administering organization, not to a lead-generation page.
How to verify a program is real and currently funded
Program directories, including ours, go stale the moment an agency changes a limit or pauses a program. Treat any summary as a starting point and verify three things directly with the administrator before you rely on it.
First, that the program is accepting reservations right now. Second, this year's income and purchase-price limits for your county and household size. Third, that the lender you intend to use is a participating originator for that specific program.
- Prefer the agency's own website over any aggregator, including this one.
- Check for a dated funding notice or program bulletin — agencies post these when allocations run out.
- Be wary of any site that asks for payment to access a program list. Every legitimate program is free to look up.
- No one can guarantee you assistance before your income, credit and the property have been reviewed.
Official sources
HUD-approved housing counseling agencies
Free or low-cost counselors, funded by HUD, who know the local programs in their service area and can tell you which ones currently have funds. Counseling from an approved agency also satisfies the education requirement on many programs.
Visit the official siteYour state housing finance agency
The largest and most reliable source of assistance in every state. Agencies publish their own income and purchase-price limit tables by county, list participating lenders and post funding notices when a program pauses.
Visit the official siteNeighborWorks America network
A national network of local nonprofits offering homebuyer education, counseling and, in many markets, their own down payment assistance or matched savings programs.
Visit the official siteHabitat for Humanity affiliates
Affiliate-run homeownership programs including sweat-equity purchases and, in some markets, repair and down payment support. Terms are set locally and vary widely between affiliates.
Visit the official siteFederal Home Loan Bank set-asides
Each of the eleven Federal Home Loan Banks runs an annual affordable housing set-aside distributed through member lenders. Awards can be substantial but open and close on a set calendar each year.
Visit the official siteYour city and county housing department
City and county programs funded by HOME, CDBG and local trust funds are frequently the largest awards available, and the least visible. Search the municipality's own site for its housing or community development office.
Visit the official siteUSDA Rural Development
Not assistance as such, but the Section 502 guaranteed and direct loan programs allow zero down payment in eligible rural areas, which solves the same problem for buyers outside metro boundaries.
Visit the official siteVA home loan benefit
Eligible veterans, service members and surviving spouses can buy with no down payment and no mortgage insurance, and can still layer state or local closing-cost assistance on top.
Visit the official siteReady to see which programs fit you?
Answer 10 quick questions and see the down payment assistance programs worth checking..
See your own numbers
Free tools using current stored limits and your inputs. Estimates are educational, not loan offers.
- DPA calculatorEstimate how assistance could change your cash to close.Open tool
- Eligibility checkAnswer a few questions to see which program types may fit.Open tool
- County loan limit finderLook up the current FHA and conforming limit for your county.Open tool
Want a personalized quote?
Buying in Florida or Colorado? Request a scenario review from a licensed mortgage broker.
October 2026 Down Payment Assistance Program Sources Review
We reviewed HUD counseling agency and state housing finance agency listings, Federal Home Loan Bank set-aside calendars and nonprofit network program availability relevant to this page. No material changes requiring substantive revisions were identified this month. The information and sources shown here remain current as of our latest review.
- Checked: HUD counseling agency and state housing finance agency listings
- Checked: Federal Home Loan Bank set-aside calendars
- Checked: nonprofit network program availability
This page's scheduled monthly review is overdue. The section above reflects our latest completed review, not a new one for the current month.
Current data & page updates
- Page last reviewed
- September 27, 2026
- Page last substantively updated
- September 27, 2026
- Next scheduled review
- October 27, 2026
- Current monthly review
- October 2026
- Live data feed
- No
This page is past its scheduled review date and is queued for the next review cycle.
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Simply Approved Mortgages LLC | NMLS #2620881
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Broker identification. Simply Approved Mortgages LLC is a mortgage broker and is not a direct lender. We arrange residential mortgage loans with third-party lenders and do not make the lender's final credit decision or fund the loan. We arrange residential mortgage loans in Florida and Colorado.
Down payment assistance programs. Down payment and closing-cost assistance programs listed or referenced on this site may be administered by third parties, including state housing finance agencies, cities, counties, Federal Home Loan Banks, nonprofit organizations, lenders, and other program sponsors. Simply Approved Mortgages LLC does not administer, control, fund, or guarantee third-party assistance unless expressly stated otherwise.
Listing or displaying a program does not constitute an offer of that program, a representation that funding is currently available, or a determination that a borrower or property qualifies. Program availability, funding, assistance amounts, income limits, purchase-price limits, credit requirements, occupancy requirements, geographic restrictions, homebuyer education requirements, participating-lender requirements, repayment terms, and other eligibility criteria vary by program and may change or become unavailable without notice. Eligibility and current program terms must be confirmed for the particular transaction.
Types of assistance. Down payment or closing-cost assistance may be structured as a grant, forgivable loan, deferred-payment loan, repayable second mortgage or other form of assistance. Assistance structured as a lien or secondary financing may be subject to repayment, forgiveness, occupancy, resale, refinance, or other conditions. Assistance should not be considered "free money" unless the applicable program documents expressly provide that the assistance is a grant with no repayment obligation.
Receiving or potentially qualifying for down payment assistance does not guarantee mortgage approval, guarantee receipt of assistance, or necessarily eliminate all funds that a borrower may be required to contribute to a transaction.
Credit and program terms. All loans are subject to lender credit approval, underwriting, acceptable appraisal, title review, insurance, and supporting documentation. Eligibility, programs, rates, APRs, points, fees, payments, terms, loan amounts, down-payment requirements, and availability may vary based on borrower, property, occupancy, credit profile, loan-to-value ratio, debt-to-income ratio, lender, assistance program, and location and may change without notice. Not all borrowers, properties, products, or programs will qualify or be available in every location. Nothing on this site constitutes a loan approval, rate lock, offer, commitment to lend, guarantee of assistance, or guarantee of closing.
Rates, payments and calculators. Rates, APRs, payments, down payments, estimated assistance amounts, affordability, home prices, closing costs, savings, and other calculator or scenario results displayed on this site are estimates or illustrations unless expressly stated otherwise. Actual eligibility, assistance, and loan terms may differ. Taxes, homeowners insurance, mortgage insurance, association dues, lender charges, broker compensation, discount points, third-party charges, and other costs may apply. Advertised rates, payments, APRs, down payments, and other credit terms are subject to the assumptions and disclosures presented with the applicable advertisement.
Government affiliation. Simply Approved Mortgages LLC is not a government agency and is not affiliated with, acting on behalf of, sponsored by, or endorsed by HUD, FHA, VA, USDA, any housing finance agency, or any other federal, state, or local government agency. References to government agencies, housing authorities, assistance programs, data, forms, or resources are provided for informational purposes and do not imply sponsorship or endorsement of Simply Approved Mortgages LLC.
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No professional advice. Content on this site is educational and general in nature and is not legal, tax, accounting, financial, or investment advice. Borrowers should review the applicable program documents and consult qualified professionals regarding their individual circumstances.