DC First-Time Home Buyer Programs 2026
Quick Answer: DC's main program is unusually large. DHCD's Home Purchase Assistance Program (HPAP) lends up to $202,000 interest-free plus up to $4,000 for closing costs to first-time buyers earning up to 110% of median income, for loans closed after October 1, 2026.
Full answer and how we checked it
It's a loan, not a grant: deferred below 80% of median, with principal-only payments from year 6 above that. The DC Housing Finance Agency adds DC Open Doors (a 0% deferred loan for your full minimum down payment) and HomeAdvantage DC (up to 3% or 3.5% assistance). The only true grants are for some DC government workers. For how DC compares nationally, see our national first-time home buyer grants guide.
This guide is for: first-time buyers in Washington, DC who want to know what the District's own programs will put toward a home in 2026, and how DC's help compares with buying across the line in Maryland or Virginia.
Data note: Grantsights checked DHCD's HPAP page (opens in a new tab), its HPAP eligibility page (opens in a new tab), its HPAP Homebuyer Assistance Table effective for loans closed after October 1, 2026, and its EAHP page (opens in a new tab) against DCHFA's DC Open Doors, HomeAdvantage DC, DC4ME, EAHP and eligibility pages and U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts on November 3, 2026. The DC median home value is the 2020-2024 American Community Survey figure, which trails 2026 sale prices.
In this guide (10 sections)
- DC Home Buyer Programs Compared (2026)
- HPAP Income Limits and Assistance Tiers (October 1, 2026)
- How Far HPAP Goes on a DC Home
- DC Government Employee Programs and How DC Compares With Maryland and Virginia
- FHA, VA and USDA Loans in DC
- What DCHFA and DHCD Don't Tell You on Their Pages
- Common Mistakes and Red Flags for DC Buyers
- How to Apply for DC Home Buyer Help, Step by Step
- When HPAP Money Is Tight or Your Application Is Denied
- Sources
DC Home Buyer Programs Compared (2026)
Washington buyers can draw on 2 District agencies and 7 programs, and most of them stack. Here's what each offers as of November 3, 2026.
| DC program | Run by | Type | Amount | Repayment terms | First-time buyer rule | Credit minimum | Funding status (as stated by agency) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Purchase Assistance Program (HPAP) | DC DHCD | Deferred loan, 0% | Up to $202,000 gap financing plus up to $4,000 closing costs | Under 80% MFI: deferred until sale, cash-out refinance or move-out. 80% to 110%: deferred 5 years, then principal-only over 40 years | Yes; no ownership interest in 3 years | "Good credit rating" (no number published) | FY2027 funds available from October 1, 2026; first come, first served; close by August 1, 2027 |
| DC Open Doors | DCHFA | First mortgage plus deferred loan, 0% | Down payment loan up to your full minimum down payment | Due at 30 years, sale, refinance or move-out | No; first-time and repeat | 640 | Listed as current; no funding status posted |
| HomeAdvantage DC | DCHFA | First mortgage (bond) plus assistance | Up to 3% (conventional) or 3.5% (FHA, VA) | DCHFA doesn't state the repayment terms on its page | Yes, with targeted-area exceptions | 660 on program page; 640 on the "Do I Qualify?" page | Effective May 1, 2026 |
| DC4ME | DCHFA | Reduced-rate first mortgage, optional deferred loan | Optional 3% assistance, 0% deferred | Deferred | Yes | 640 | Listed as current |
| Employer-Assisted Housing Program (EAHP) | DC DHCD with DCHFA | Deferred loan, 0%, plus matching grant | Up to $20,000 loan plus up to $5,000 matching grant | Loan due on sale, move-out or cash-out refinance | Yes (first home) | Not published | "Subject to funding availability" |
| EAHP First Responder and Educator | DC DHCD with DCHFA | Forgivable grant | $10,000, plus matching grant up to $15,000 | Forgiven after 5 years of residence and service | Yes | Not published | Subject to funding |
| Negotiated Employee Affordable Home Purchase Program (NEAHP) | DC DHCD and OLRCB with DCHFA | Grant, forgiven after 10 years | $3,000 to $26,500 by years of union service | Forgiven after 10 years if terms are met | Set by program | Not published | No status posted |
Sources: DC DHCD HPAP, HPAP eligibility and EAHP pages; DHCD HPAP Homebuyer Assistance Table (loans closed after October 1, 2026); DCHFA DC Open Doors, HomeAdvantage DC, DC4ME, EAHP and "Do I Qualify?" pages. All checked November 3, 2026.
The honest read: HPAP is the most generous program in this guide by a wide margin, but it's still a lien on your home, and above 80% of median it comes with a monthly payment starting in year 6. For a District government worker, the best deal is usually HPAP plus EAHP, because the EAHP match is a grant.
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HPAP Income Limits and Assistance Tiers (October 1, 2026)
DHCD sorts HPAP buyers into 6 assistance tiers by household size and income. Per the DHCD HPAP Homebuyer Assistance Table, these amounts apply to HPAP loans closed after October 1, 2026, with closing cost help of up to $4,000 on top for every tier.
| Maximum gap financing | Income tier | 1 person | 2 people | 3 people | 4 people | 5 people | 6 people |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $202,000 | Up to 50% MFI | $58,150 | $66,450 | $74,750 | $83,050 | $89,700 | $96,350 |
| $161,600 | 51% to 80% MFI | $74,500 | $85,150 | $95,800 | $106,450 | $113,100 | $119,750 |
| $141,400 | 51% to 80% MFI | $79,850 | $91,300 | $102,700 | $114,100 | $121,250 | $128,350 |
| $101,000 | 51% to 80% MFI | $93,000 | $106,300 | $119,600 | $132,900 | $141,200 | $149,500 |
| $80,800 | 81% to 110% MFI | $113,950 | $130,200 | $146,500 | $162,750 | $172,900 | $172,900 |
| $70,000 | 81% to 110% MFI | $127,900 | $146,150 | $164,450 | $182,700 | $194,100 | $194,100 |
Source: DHCD, HPAP Homebuyer Assistance Table (opens in a new tab), "Effective for HPAP Loans Closed After October 1, 2026." Income is per household; find the first row your income falls under. Limits for 7 and 8 people are in the table.
DHCD's other District programs use different limits. DCHFA's DC Open Doors counts only borrower income, not household income, and HomeAdvantage DC uses federal mortgage revenue bond limits that DCHFA doesn't print on its page. HomeAdvantage DC's purchase price caps are $1,306,974 in non-targeted areas and $1,597,413 in targeted areas (effective May 1, 2026), and DCHFA lists no sales price limit for DC Open Doors.
How Far HPAP Goes on a DC Home
The District's median owner-occupied home is worth $737,100, according to the Census Bureau QuickFacts data for 2020-2024. Grantsights analysis of DHCD's HPAP table against that figure shows the maximum $202,000 HPAP loan equals 27.4% of the median DC home value, and the full $206,000 with closing cost help reaches 27.9%.
| Help source | Amount on a $737,100 home | Share of the median |
|---|---|---|
| HPAP maximum gap financing (up to 50% MFI) | $202,000 | 27.4% |
| HPAP lowest tier (81% to 110% MFI) | $70,000 | 9.5% |
| HPAP closing cost assistance | $4,000 | 0.5% |
| FHA 3.5% minimum down payment (DC Open Doors DPAL could cover this) | $25,799 | 3.5% |
| HomeAdvantage DC conventional assistance at 3% | $22,113 | 3.0% |
Calculation: each amount divided by the $737,100 median value; FHA minimum from HUD's loans page (opens in a new tab). HPAP amounts are maximums, and DHCD sets each award by need and fund availability.
Two things stand out. HPAP isn't a down payment program so much as a second mortgage that shrinks the first one; at the top tier it can cover more than a quarter of the price. And because it's gap financing based on need, a buyer who can afford a bigger first mortgage gets less, even inside the same income tier.
DC Government Employee Programs and How DC Compares With Maryland and Virginia
The District has 3 employee-only programs on top of HPAP, and they're where DC's true grants live.
EAHP: loan plus matching grant
DHCD's EAHP page says District government employees can get a 0% deferred loan of up to $20,000 and a matching funds grant of up to $5,000 for down payment and closing costs on their first home in DC. There's no income cap and no cash contribution requirement. The loan is due when you sell or transfer, stop living there, or refinance with cash out. First responders and educators can instead get $10,000 forgiven after 5 years of living in the home and a 5-year service commitment, plus a match of up to $15,000; if the service commitment isn't met, the $10,000 turns into a deferred loan. DHCD says assistance is "subject to funding availability."
NEAHP: grant for union-covered employees
The Negotiated Employee Affordable Home Purchase Program, described on DCHFA's EAHP page (opens in a new tab), gives employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement a grant of $3,000 to $26,500, based on years of service in the bargaining unit, forgiven after 10 years if the terms are met. It's added on top of any other DHCD help.
DC4ME: reduced rate for District workers
DCHFA's DC4ME page (opens in a new tab) offers full-time District government and charter school employees a reduced-rate first mortgage, with or without 3% down payment assistance as a 0% deferred loan. It can be combined with EAHP and HPAP. A DC4ME VA product adds 3% toward closing costs for veterans.
Across the line: Maryland and Virginia
Buyers who can live anywhere in the region should compare. Prince George's County's Pathway to Purchase offers up to $50,000, forgiven over years 6 to 15, and Montgomery County's MHP was nearly out of reservations on November 3, 2026; see our Maryland first-time home buyer guide. In Virginia, Virginia Housing's Down Payment Assistance Grant is a true grant of 2% to 2.5%; see our Virginia first-time home buyer guide. None of the Maryland or Virginia programs in those guides comes close to HPAP's $202,000 ceiling.
FHA, VA and USDA Loans in DC
Most DC buyers use one of 3 loan types under DCHFA or HPAP: conventional, FHA or VA. USDA guaranteed loans are for eligible rural areas, so check any address on USDA's eligibility map, linked from the USDA Rural Development guaranteed loan page (opens in a new tab), before assuming one applies in the District.
- FHA: per HUD, the FHA floor is 3.5% down (see its loans page (opens in a new tab)), and HomeAdvantage DC's FHA option offers up to 3.5% in assistance, enough to cover that whole minimum.
- VA: the VA purchase loan page (opens in a new tab) says there's typically no down payment. DCHFA's HomeAdvantage DC VA option and DC4ME VA product add assistance toward other costs.
- Conventional: DCHFA's FAQ says some loans need 3%, others 5%. DC Open Doors' down payment loan can cover the full required minimum.
For USDA's direct loans and repair programs elsewhere in the region, see our USDA housing grants guide.
What DCHFA and DHCD Don't Tell You on Their Pages
Grantsights compared the two agencies' pages side by side and found 5 conflicts or gaps worth checking with your lender.
- DCHFA's own pages disagree on DC Open Doors' income cap. The DC Open Doors page lists a maximum of $275,400 (170% of area median income); the "Do I Qualify?" page says $216,580. Ask your lender which limit DCHFA is applying.
- HomeAdvantage DC's credit floor is listed two ways. The program page (effective May 1, 2026) says 660; the "Do I Qualify?" page says 640, with a 45% debt-to-income cap instead of 50%.
- DCHFA's HPAP page is out of date. It links a "FY25" table and lists a $834,977 conforming loan limit, while DHCD's page shows the October 1, 2026 table. Use DHCD's.
- HPAP's funds dashboard was empty. DHCD's HPAP page says a dashboard "will share" the amount of FY2027 funds available, but no figure appeared when Grantsights checked on November 3, 2026. Ask your housing counselor how much remains.
- The 80% line changes everything. DHCD's main page explains deferral in one sentence, but crossing 80% of median moves you from no payments to principal-only payments starting in year 6. A single person earning $93,000 and one earning $94,000 can face very different monthly costs.
Common Mistakes and Red Flags for DC Buyers
Most DC problems are about timing and order, because HPAP runs on a 90-day clock.
- Shopping before the Notice to Proceed. HPAP gives you 90 days after the Notice to Proceed to choose, contract and close, with all closings by August 1, 2027. A common mistake is signing a contract before you know your award.
- Skipping the counseling agency. HPAP applications go through DHCD's community-based housing counseling organizations, not lenders. Start with one of them.
- Underestimating the year-6 payment. For moderate-income buyers, a $70,000 HPAP loan repaid principal-only over 40 years works out to about $146 a month starting in year 6. Budget for it now.
- Assuming non-residents are equal. DHCD processes non-resident applications only when no District resident applications are pending.
- Paying for grant "access." According to the FTC's government grant scams page (opens in a new tab), real government grants don't require a fee up front. HPAP, EAHP and DCHFA programs come through counselors and participating lenders.
Older DC rowhouses often need work soon after closing; our guide to home repair grants for low-income homeowners covers options.
How to Apply for DC Home Buyer Help, Step by Step
DC's process has 6 steps, and the HPAP steps happen before you make an offer.
- Find your HPAP tier. Match your household size and income to the table above.
- Contact a DHCD housing counseling organization. They complete your HPAP application and forward it to DHCD with a Notice of Eligibility, which states your maximum assistance.
- Pick a DCHFA participating lender. Ask about DC Open Doors, HomeAdvantage DC and, if you work for the District, DC4ME and EAHP. Get a written comparison.
- Wait for the Notice to Proceed. Your 90-day clock starts here.
- Contract and close. HPAP is a second trust behind a private first mortgage. You contribute $500 or 50% of liquid assets above $3,000, whichever is greater.
- Keep your loan papers. Every HPAP and DCHFA deferred loan is recorded and comes due on sale, move-out or certain refinances.
For example, a single first-time buyer in DC earning $70,000 a year and buying a $400,000 condo would fall in HPAP's $161,600 tier (under the $74,500 limit for 1 person). They'd put in $500 or half their liquid savings above $3,000, whichever is more. Because they're under 80% of median, the HPAP loan, specifically up to $161,600 based on need plus up to $4,000 for closing costs, would have no monthly payments until they sell, move out or refinance for cash. If they also work for the District, EAHP could add up to $20,000 more as a loan and a matching grant of up to $5,000.
When HPAP Money Is Tight or Your Application Is Denied
HPAP is funded one fiscal year at a time, and DHCD serves applicants first come, first served, so a late application in the year can stall.
- If HPAP money runs low: ask your counselor where you are in line; Notice of Eligibility holders are served in order of issue date. DCHFA's DC Open Doors doesn't depend on HPAP funding.
- If you're over 110% of median: DC Open Doors uses higher, borrower-only income limits, and repeat buyers can use it.
- If your credit is under 640: DCHFA's loans won't work yet, but a HUD-approved counselor can map out a plan. Our guide on how to apply for grants as an individual explains how to tell real offers from fake ones.
- If you need to keep renting: our rental assistance programs guide and HUD income limits guide cover what's available and how median income bands work.
Much local homebuyer money nationwide comes from federal HOME funds; our HUD HOME program guide explains the program.
If you'd like a quick way to see which official programs fit, the free eligibility checker points you to the right official routes. It isn't a grant source and can't apply on your behalf.
Sources
- DC DHCD, Home Purchase Assistance Program (opens in a new tab) and HPAP Eligibility, How to Apply and Program Details (opens in a new tab) (checked November 3, 2026)
- DC DHCD, HPAP Homebuyer Assistance Table (opens in a new tab) (effective for HPAP loans closed after October 1, 2026)
- DC DHCD, Employer-Assisted Housing Program (EAHP) (opens in a new tab)
- DC Housing Finance Agency, DC Open Doors (opens in a new tab), HomeAdvantage DC (opens in a new tab) (effective May 1, 2026), DC4ME (opens in a new tab), EAHP and NEAHP (opens in a new tab), HPAP (opens in a new tab), Do I Qualify? (opens in a new tab) and Homeownership FAQs (opens in a new tab) (checked November 3, 2026)
- HUD, Loans (FHA) (opens in a new tab)
- VA, VA purchase loan (opens in a new tab)
- USDA Rural Development guaranteed loan rules (opens in a new tab), as they apply to buyers in the District of Columbia
- U.S. Census Bureau, QuickFacts: District of Columbia (opens in a new tab) (median value of owner-occupied homes, 2020-2024)
- FTC, Government Grant Scams (opens in a new tab)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a first-time home buyer grant in DC?
Not for most buyers. DC's big program, HPAP, is an interest-free loan of up to $202,000 plus up to $4,000 for closing costs. Below 80% of median income it's deferred until you sell, refinance for cash or move out; between 80% and 110% you start principal-only payments in year 6. True grants exist only for some DC government workers, such as NEAHP's $3,000 to $26,500 grant, forgiven after 10 years.
How much can I get from HPAP in 2026?
Up to $202,000 in gap financing plus up to $4,000 in closing cost assistance, according to DHCD's table for loans closed after October 1, 2026. The top amount goes to households at or under 50% of median family income, such as a single person earning up to $58,150. Higher tiers get $161,600 down to $70,000, and the actual award depends on need.
What are the HPAP income limits?
For loans closed after October 1, 2026, the 50% tier tops out at $58,150 for 1 person and $83,050 for 4. The highest tier, up to 110% of median, tops out at $127,900 for 1 person, $146,150 for 2, $164,450 for 3 and $182,700 for 4.
Is HPAP funding open right now?
DHCD says FY2027 HPAP funds became available with the fiscal year that began October 1, 2026, and applicants are served first come, first served, with current Notice of Eligibility holders first. Once you get a Notice to Proceed, you have 90 days to contract and close, and closings must happen by August 1, 2027.
What is DC Open Doors?
It's the DC Housing Finance Agency's mortgage program for first-time and repeat buyers. It offers below-market first mortgages and a 0% deferred down payment loan for your full minimum down payment, due at 30 years, sale, refinance or move-out. DCHFA's program page lists a 640 minimum score and no sales price limit.
What help is there for DC government employees?
Several programs. EAHP offers a 0% deferred loan of up to $20,000 plus a matching grant of up to $5,000. First responders and educators can get a $10,000 grant forgiven after 5 years of service and a match of up to $15,000. NEAHP gives union-covered employees a $3,000 to $26,500 grant forgiven after 10 years, and DC4ME offers a reduced-rate loan with optional 3% assistance.
Can I combine HPAP with DCHFA loans?
Yes. DCHFA's DC4ME page says it can be combined with EAHP and HPAP, and DCHFA's FAQ points DC Open Doors buyers to HPAP as an additional source. HPAP must be paired with a private first mortgage and won't accept seller financing.
Do I need to live in DC to get HPAP?
No, but District residents come first. DHCD processes non-resident applications only when no District resident applications are pending, and non-residents must have worked in DC for a year or lived there 3 consecutive years as an adult.
Last updated November 3, 2026. Published by Grantsights from public sources. See our editorial policy, how we build and check guides, corrections and how we make money.
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