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Illinois reopens Opening Doors: $9,000 forgivable DPA

Published · Homebuyer update · By the DPA Finder editorial team

IHDA reopened Opening Doors with $25 million in BUILD funding. It pairs a 30-year fixed IHDA mortgage with $9,000 in down payment and closing cost help, forgiven after five years.

Illinois homebuyers have a reopened source of down payment help. On October 29, 2026, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) announced $156 million in housing investments under the state's Building Up Illinois Developments (BUILD) plan, and IHDA opened applications for its Opening Doors program the same day with $25 million in BUILD funding. The state estimates the round will support about 3,000 Illinoisans.

Opening Doors combines a 30-year, fixed-rate IHDA mortgage with $9,000 in down payment and/or closing cost assistance, available anywhere in Illinois. IHDA says the $9,000 is forgiven monthly over five years with no additional payment due. It works with FHA, VA, USDA, Fannie Mae HFA Preferred and Freddie Mac HFA Advantage loans, and the governor's office says it can be combined with other outside down payment assistance programs.

The program is not limited to first-time buyers: IHDA lists first-time and repeat buyers as eligible, in all Illinois counties, for both new construction and existing homes. Buyers must meet IHDA household income and purchase price limits, have a minimum credit score of 640, contribute $1,000 or 1% of the purchase price (whichever is greater), live in the home as their primary residence, and complete homeownership counseling before closing.

The same announcement said IHDA's SmartBuy program, with $5,000 in deferred down payment help plus student loan payoff assistance, will relaunch in spring 2027; it is not open yet. To apply for Opening Doors, buyers work with an IHDA participating lender. Compare it with IHDA's other options on our Illinois page, including IHDA Access Forgivable and IHDA Access Deferred, read how forgivable down payment loans work, or see our how to apply guide.

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