Assistance program · New Jersey
NJHMFA First Generation Down Payment Assistance Program
Extra NJHMFA assistance for first-time buyers whose parents have never owned a home (or who were in foster care in New Jersey)
At a glance
- Most it gives, per the source
- $7,000
- What its page says; your amount depends on the price and the loan.
- Kind of help
- Forgivable
- Second loan forgiven if you stay in the home
- First-time buyer?
- Yes
- First-time buyers only
- Checked
- November 5, 2026
- Against the program's official page.
Type of help
What it is
- Second loan forgiven if you stay in the home
What it gives
$7,000
Source text
The NJHMFA First Generation Down Payment Assistance Program provides $7,000 of down payment and closing cost assistance. This is offered in addition to the NJHMFA DPA award for first-time buyers providing a total assistance of $17,000 to $22,000. The NJHMFA First Generation Down Payment Assistance Program is for qualified first-time homebuyers who are also first-generation homebuyers. The assistance is provided as an interest-free, five-year forgivable second loan with no monthly payment. A summary of what the program publishes; not a loan offer or advice. Amounts, limits and funding change without notice.
At a glance
Who qualifies
Each answer comes from the program's page. "Not stated — ask" means its page doesn't make it clear: ask before you apply.
Source text
A first-generation homebuyer is defined as a first-time homebuyer who also is either: … an individual: whose parents or legal guardians do not have any present ownership interest in any residential real property in any state or territory of the United States, or outside of the United States; and whose spouse, or domestic partner, and each member of whose household has not, during the 3-year period ending upon acquisition of the eligible home to be acquired using such assistance, had any present ownership interest in any residential real property used as their principal residence in any state or territory of the United States, or outside of the United States; … an individual who has at any time been placed in foster care in the State of New Jersey. … The First Generation Down Payment Assistance Program must be paired with an NJHMFA first mortgage loan. The first mortgage loan is a competitive 30-year, fixed-rate loan, originated through an NJHMFA participating lender. Certain restrictions such as maximum household income and purchase price limits apply. - First-time buyers only Yes
- Homebuyer course required Not stated — ask
- Minimum credit score Not stated — ask
- Income limit Per the program table (by county and household size)
- Price limit Per the program table
- Mortgages it works with FHA, VA, USDA
- Immigration requirement Citizenship or qualified-alien status, per the source
- Accepts ITIN? No
- Spanish materials Yes
- Program status The source does not say whether it is open — ask
- Where it applies All of New Jersey
What its page says about being open
Its page does not say whether the program is open or has funds. Ask the lender or the agency before counting on it. Read on the official page on November 5, 2026.
Your area in numbers
What buying costs in New Jersey
The program covers all of New Jersey. The first column is New Jersey's figure; the second runs from the lowest to the highest among its counties. Limits change by county: check yours.
The program sets its maximum price in a table. Compare it with the typical home value in New Jersey: $454,400.
The typical home value ($454,400) fits within New Jersey's FHA limit ($1,249,125).
The program sets its income limit in its own table. For reference, HUD's low-income limit for 4 people in New Jersey is $106,800.
| Figure | New Jersey | Lowest to highest | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $454,400 | $221,400 (Cumberland County) to $623,000 (Bergen County) | U.S. Census Bureau |
| FHA limit (one-unit home) | $1,249,125 | $541,287 (Cumberland County) to $1,249,125 (Union County) | HUD |
| Conforming limit (one-unit home) | $1,209,750 | $832,750 (Atlantic County) to $1,209,750 (Union County) | FHFA |
| HUD low income (80%), household of 4 | $106,800 | $78,000 (Cumberland County) to $117,900 (Hudson County) | HUD |
Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024) · FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data) · Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data) · Income Limits (HUD) (Fiscal year 2026)
Step by step
How to use it, step by step
Each step comes from what the program's page says. What its page leaves out is further down, in the questions.
Find a participating lender-
Ask first whether it is open
Its page does not say whether it is open or still has funds. That is the first thing to ask.
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Confirm you count as a first-time buyer
The program requires it. Read on its page how it defines "first-time buyer" and whether there are exceptions.
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Find your county in the income table
The limit changes with the county and the number of people in your household. Count the income of everyone the program asks you to add.
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Check your county's maximum price
The program sets a maximum price per county in its table.
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Pick a mortgage it works with
According to its page, the help is used together with a FHA, VA and USDA loan. Each loan type has its own requirements.
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Find a participating lender: state programs do not take applications directly; the lender reserves the assistance while processing your mortgage.
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Compare the total cost before you sign
Ask about the total cost. The mortgage with assistance may carry a higher rate than without it, and some programs charge for the course or a fee.
Before you call
What to ask
Its page leaves 3 points unclear. Write them down for when you talk to New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency.
What its page does not say
- Is it open now, and does it still have funds?
- Do you require a homebuyer course? Which ones do you accept, and what do they cost?
- What minimum credit score do you require?
Worth asking for this kind of help
- After how many years is the loan forgiven, and what happens if I sell or refinance before then?
Against the others
How it compares with New Jersey's other programs
The 2 programs we checked in New Jersey, with the same fields from their official pages. "Doesn't say" means its page does not make it clear.
It is one of 2 programs in New Jersey, out of 2, that require being a first-time buyer. It is one of 2 out of 2 that publish an amount with the figure in their own wording. One other program in the state also gives "forgivable" help: NJHMFA Down Payment Assistance Program.
Swipe the table to see every column.
| Program | Kind of help | Published amount | First-time buyers only | Course required | Accepts ITIN | Where it applies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NJHMFA First Generation Down Payment Assistance Programthis program | Forgivable | $7,000 | Yes | Doesn't say | No | Statewide |
| NJHMFA Down Payment Assistance Program | Forgivable | Up to $15,000 | Yes | Doesn't say | No | Statewide |
Sources
How we checked this program
We read the program's official pages on November 5, 2026 and copied their text as it appears on them. We add no amounts or requirements those pages do not state, and a program is listed as open or closed only when its page says so.
We check every program again. If more than 180 days pass without a check, the page says so.
Get free help applying
A HUD-approved housing counselor explains the program's requirements, goes over your numbers and tells you what to ask the lender. They do not sell loans.
Find a counselor (HUD)Read before you apply
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Help and programs
Down payment assistance: how it works
What down payment assistance is, the types that exist (grant, forgivable or deferred second loan, tax credit), who qualifies and where to find it.
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Mortgage loans
FHA loan: down payment, insurance, limits and who qualifies
How an FHA loan works: the down payment and credit score HUD requires, MIP mortgage insurance, your county limit, the home and the residency rules.
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Mortgage loans
VA home loans: who qualifies, the COE and what it costs
How a VA home loan works: who qualifies, getting your Certificate of Eligibility (COE), the funding fee and the rule that you must live in the home.
Your county
Price and income limits depend on the county. Your county page has the typical value, the FHA limit and the counseling agencies that can walk you through the application.