HomeFirst Down Payment Assistance Program - HPD

Housing Preservation & Development


HomeFirst Down Payment Assistance Program


HomeFirst Down Payment Assistance Program

HomeFirst has resumed the acceptance of applications as of March 4, 2024.

About HomeFirst

The HomeFirst Down Payment Assistance Program provides qualified first-time homebuyers with up to $100,000 toward the down payment or closing costs on a 1-4 family home, a condominium, or a cooperative in one of the five boroughs of New York City.

HomeFirst term sheet

HomeFirst brochure

Program Eligibility

A prospective homebuyer must:

Be a first-time homebuyer

Complete a homebuyer education course taught by an HPD-approved counseling agency

Work with an HPD approved Housing Counseling Agency to complete a 2024 HomeFirst Loan Application (Required documentation can be found here).

Have their own savings to contribute to the down payment or closing costs

Meet program income eligibility requirements

Make a minimum down payment of 3% of the purchase price towards the home purchase.

Purchase a 1-4 unit family home, a condominium, or a cooperative for owner-occupancy in one of the five boroughs of New York City

Pass a Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspection before purchase

Live in the home for at least:

10 years if the loan received is less than or equal to $40,000

15 years if the loan is greater than $40,000

Have a maximum household income up to 80% AMI:

Family Size
Maximum Household Income up to 80% AMI

1 – Person Household

$87,100

2 – Person Household

$99,550

3 – Person Household

$111,950

4 – Person Household

$124,400

5 – Person Household

$134,350

6 – Person Household

$144,300

7 – Person Household

$154,250

8 – Person Household

$164,200

*Buyers receiving a down payment assistance loan less than or equal to $40,000 must reside in the home purchased for at least 10 years. Buyers receiving loan greater than $40,000 must reside in the home purchased at least 15 years.
Effective Date: 6/01/24; Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

HOME Purchase Price Limits for Existing Homes*

Applicant must purchase an existing home at or below 95% of the HUD purchase price limits:

County
1 - Unit
2 - Unit
3 - Unit
4 - Unit

Bronx

$636,000

$814,000

$985,000

$1,220,000

Kings

$712,000

$911,000

$1,103,000

$1,366,000

New York

$636,000

$814,000

$985,000

$1,220,000

Queens

$684,000

$876,000

$1,060,000

$1,313,000

Richmond

$636,000

$814,000

$985,000

$1,220,000

The limits above are effective as of September 1, 2024, and will remain in effect until HUD issues new limits.
If applicants wish to purchase a newly built or rehabilitated home, please visit this link for eligible purchase price limits.

Process

Community-based counseling agencies certified by HUD and approved by HPD to participate in the HomeFirst program will promote the program through newsletters, flyers, and seminars; distribute program guidelines; and enroll consumers in Homebuyer Education classes. The counseling agencies will also certify income eligibility for the Down Payment Assistance Program, counsel consumers about program requirements, certify completion of Homebuyer Education classes, and refer consumers to participating lenders for pre-approval. Contact any one of the following HPD-approved counseling agencies.

Contact a counseling agency today!
Please reach out to one of the Counseling Agencies in your borough from the list below to start the application process.

Counseling Agencies

Expand AllCollapse All

Click a borough, or press the enter key on a borough, to reveal the counseling agencies in that borough.

Bronx

The Bronx NHS CDC, Inc.
1451 East Gun Hill Road 2nd Fl.
Bronx, NY 10469
Tel: 718-881-1180
Languages: English and Spanish

NHSNYC-South Bronx
2475 Westchester Avenue
Bronx NY 10461
Tel: 718-502-3300
Languages: English and Spanish

Brooklyn

MHANY Management Inc.
470 Vanderbilt Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11238
Tel: 718-246-8080
Languages: English and Spanish

NHS of Brooklyn CDC, Inc.
2806 Church Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11226
Tel: 718-469-4679
Languages: English

IMPACCT Brooklyn
1000 Dean Street, Ste 420
Brooklyn, NY 11238
Tel: 718-522-2613 x315
Languages: English

Bridge Street Development Corporation
460 Nostrand Avenue
Brooklyn, New York, 11216
Tel: 718-399-0146
Languages: English

Brooklyn Neighborhood Services
506 MacDonough Street, 1St Fl
Brooklyn, NY 11233
Tel: 718-919-2100
Languages: English and Spanish

Neighbors Helping Neighbors
621 DeGraw Street
Brooklyn, NY 11217
Tel: 718-237-2017 x151
Languages: English

GROW Brooklyn
1474 Myrtle Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11237
Tel: 718-418-8232 x2060
Languages: English and Spanish

Manhattan

Abyssinian Development Corporation
Abyssinian Towers
HELP Homeownership Program
50 West 131st Street, Lower Level
New York, NY 10037
Tel: 646-442-6545
Languages: English and Spanish

Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement
256 West 153rd Street
New York, NY 10039
Tel: 212-281-4887 x231
Languages: English and Spanish

NHS of NYC Homeownership Center
306 West 37th Street 11th Fl.
New York, NY, 10018
Tel: 718-732-8100
Languages: English and Spanish

Asian Americans For Equality
2 Allen Street, 7th Fl.
New York, NY 10002
Tel: 212-964-2288
Languages: English, Mandarin, Cantonese

Housing Partnership Development Corporation
253 West 35th Street, 3rd Fl.
New York, NY 10001
Tel: 646-217-3392
Language: English

Queens

Asian Americans For Equality
133-29 41st Avenue, Suite 201
Flushing, NY 11355
Tel: 718-961-0888
Languages: English, Mandarin, Cantonese

Margert Community Corporation
325 Beach 37th Street
Far Rockaway, NY 11691
Tel: 718-471-3724
Languages: English and Spanish

NHS of Queens CDC, Inc.
60-20 Woodside Avenue 2nd Fl.
Woodside, NY 11377
Tel: 718-457-1017
Languages: English and Spanish

Chhaya CDC
37-43 77th Street, 2nd Fl.
Jackson Heights, NY 11372
Tel: 718-478-3848 x12
Languages: Bangla/Bengali, English, Hindi, and Urdu

NHS of Jamaica
89-70 162nd Street
Jamaica, NY 11432
Tel: 718-291-7400 x13
Languages: English

Staten Island

NHS of Staten Island
192 Corson Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10301
Tel: 718-442-8080
Languages: English and Spanish

Northfield Community Local Development Corporation
160 Heberton Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10302
Tel: 718-442-7351
Languages: English and Spanish

Upon the successful completion of the Homebuyer Education class, prospective home buyers will receive a certificate that verifies their eligibility for the forgivable loan of up to $100,000 towards the down payment or closing costs on a new home. After receiving the certificate, prospective homebuyers begin the path to homeownership.

Step 1: Present the certificate of eligibility to a participating lender for pre-approval on a mortgage loan.

Step 2: After receiving pre-approval from a participating lender, consult a reputable real estate professional to identify an affordable home.

Step 4: Hire a real estate lawyer.

Step 5: Negotiate a contract of sale with the seller.

The homebuyer education counselors will be available to assist program participants throughout the home buying process. Program participants are encouraged to take advantage of this resource.

Program Administration

Neighborhood Housing Services of New York City (NHS) administers the program on HPD's behalf. As administrator, NHS works with the homebuyer and the representative from the counseling agency to:

Request from the homebuyer copies of:

Home buyer education certificate

HomeFirst Certificate of Eligibility

Bank pre-approval

Sales contract

Receive the HomeFirst application

Review signed contract

Verify eligibility of property based on location and type of property

Verify income of mortgage applicants

Verify eligibility of HomeFirst applicants

Review pre-approval and verify lender is a participating lender

Reserve funds for closing

Receive copy of lender commitment letter

Receive confirmation of closing date

Release funds for closing