How to Apply for Down Payment Assistance: 7 Steps

Most down payment assistance is applied for as part of your mortgage, through a lender that works with the program. Here is the order to do things in, with free tools for each step.

1. Find programs you may qualify for

   Start with your state's programs and any city or county programs. The eligibility checker narrows the list by your state, income and household size, and the assistance estimator shows roughly how much each could give.

2. Check the limits on the official page

   Each program has its own income limit, purchase price limit, credit and debt rules, and often a first-time buyer rule (usually meaning you haven't owned a home in the past 3 years; see programs without that rule). Every listing here links to the agency's own page and shows the date we last checked it. To see programs side by side, use compare programs.

3. Take a homebuyer education class if it's required

   Many programs ask for a class or a counseling session before closing. A HUD-approved housing counselor ↗ can help you pick a class the program accepts. Programs in our list whose official details note this requirement:

   • Step Up · Alabama
   • MyHome Assistance Program · California
   • Down Payment Assistance Program (DAP) Loan · Connecticut
   • Idaho Housing Down Payment and Closing Cost Assistance · Idaho
   • Shared Appreciation Mortgage (SAM) · Kentucky
   • Bond Advantage Down Payment Assistance · Montana
   • DCA Program Down Payment and Closing Cost Assistance · North Dakota
   • OHCS Down Payment Assistance (via local groups) · Oregon
   • 15kDPA · Rhode Island
   • VHFA ASSIST · Vermont
   • Home Advantage DPA · Washington
   • Home Advantage Needs-Based DPA · Washington
   • HomeChoice DPA · Washington
   • House Key Opportunity DPA · Washington
   • Veterans Downpayment Assistance Program · Washington
   • Ready to Own Program · City of Birmingham
   • Down Payment Assistance Program · City of Tucson and Pima County
   • Open Doors Down Payment Assistance · City of Phoenix
   • metroDPA · Denver metro (Front Range)
   • Down Payment Assistance Program · Orange County, Florida · Closed
   • Hillsborough First DPA · Hillsborough County
   • Pinellas County Down Payment Assistance · Pinellas County
   • Beltline Mortgage Assistance Program · City of Atlanta
   • Homestretch Down Payment Assistance · Gwinnett County
   • Direct Homebuyer Soft Second Mortgage Assistance · City of New Orleans
   • Mortgage Assistance Program (MAP) · Anne Arundel County
   • Settlement Expense Loan Program (SELP) · Baltimore County
   • Jefferson County Down Payment Assistance · Jefferson County
   • St. Louis County Down Payment Assistance · St. Louis County
   • Own in Yonkers First-Time Homebuyer DPA · City of Yonkers · Open
   • Down Payment Assistance · Nashville
   • Homeownership Incentive Program (HIP 120) · City of San Antonio
   • Homeownership Incentive Program (HIP 80) · City of San Antonio

   Not on this list doesn't mean no class is needed. Always check the program's own page.

4. Get preapproved with a participating lender

   Housing agencies usually list their participating lenders on their websites. Ask the lender which assistance programs they offer, which first mortgage they pair with (see low down payment loans), how each one is repaid, and how much cash you'll still need at closing. The cash-to-close calculator helps you check their numbers.

5. Gather your documents

   Your lender will give you the exact list. It commonly includes recent pay stubs, W-2s or tax returns, bank statements and a photo ID, plus anything the program asks for to confirm household income.

6. Apply before or right after you make an offer

   Your lender submits the assistance request with your loan or tells you how to apply directly. Some programs pause when funds run out, so check the program's status on its page and our homebuyer updates.

7. Read the terms and close

   The assistance is usually paid at closing. If it is a loan, read when it must be repaid, for example when you sell, refinance or move out. How down payment assistance works explains grants and forgivable, deferred and repayable loans. After you move in, check whether you can file for a homestead exemption to lower your property tax.

Want one place to track it all? Our printable, fillable first-home buyer binder ($9) has a budget worksheet, a program tracker and a document checklist. The free tools above work without it. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau also has free home-buying guides ↗.

Related: Spring 2027 homebuying prep checklist