Help to buy in the District of Columbia
Home-buying assistance programs in the District of Columbia
2 official programs for down payment and closing cost help in the District of Columbia, from DC Housing Finance Agency and DC Department of Housing and Community Development. We show what each program says on its own page, with the date we checked it.
Key numbers in the District of Columbia
- Verified programs
- 2
- from DC Housing Finance Agency and DC Department of Housing and Community Development
- First-time buyers only
- 1
- 1 does not require it or its page does not say
- Accept an ITIN
- 0
- per their own site · no: 0 · unconfirmed: 2
- Last checked
- November 5, 2026
- against each program’s official page
How to read the list
Not all help is the same
Amounts, limits and funding change: confirm with a participating lender.
Before you compare amounts, look at the kind of help: it changes what you pay later. These are the kinds the programs on this page use.
On ITIN, each card says what the program itself publishes: yes, no, or not confirmed on its site.
-
Deferred
Second loan with no payments until you sell or refinance
-
Repayable
Second loan with monthly payments
The full list
Programs in the District of Columbia
Filter by who qualifies, by ITIN or by kind of help. Each card quotes the source and the date we checked it.
-
- Deferred
District of Columbia housing agency program: a mortgage with a deferred 0% loan with no monthly payments that covers the entire minimum down payment, for first-time and repeat buyers of a home in the District
What it gives, per the source
the full amount of your required minimum down payment … deferred 0% non-amortizing (no monthly payments) loan … thirty (30) years from the date of loan closing … sale or any transfer (by gift or otherwise) of the property
- First-time buyer?
- No first-time requirement
- Accepts ITIN?
- Its site does not confirm
Run by DC Housing Finance Agency (DCHFA)
Verified November 5, 2026
-
- Deferred
- Repayable
District of Columbia interest-free loan of up to $202,000 plus up to $4,000 for closing costs, for very low- to moderate-income first-time buyers; the amount depends on your income, your household and your savings, and District residents get priority
What it gives, per the source
The Home Purchase Assistance (HPAP) program provides interest-free loans and closing cost assistance to qualified applicants to purchase single family houses, condominiums, or cooperative units in the District. The loan amount is based on a combination of factors, including income, household size, and the amount of assets that each applicant must commit toward a property’s purchase. … Eligible applicants can receive a maximum of $202,000 in gap financing assistance and an additional $4,000 in closing cost assistance. The HPAP loan for borrowers with incomes below 80 percent of the area median income (AMI) is deferred until the property is sold, refinanced to take out equity, or is no longer their primary residence. Moderate-income borrowers who earn between 80 percent and 110 percent MFI will have payments deferred for five years with a 40 year principal-only repayment period.
- First-time buyer?
- First-time buyers only
- Accepts ITIN?
- Its site does not confirm
Run by DC Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD)
Verified November 5, 2026
No program matches your search.
Help to repair your home
Repair programs in the District of Columbia
One program we checked in the District of Columbia to repair your home or make it more efficient, with what its page says.
-
Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP)
Run by District of Columbia Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE)
The District of Columbia weatherization program: upgrades that cut energy use in low-income homes, through local agencies
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.
Frequently asked questions
What is down payment assistance?
Money from a public or nonprofit program for the down payment or closing costs. It can be a grant you never repay, a second loan forgiven if you stay in the home for some years, a second loan repaid when you sell or refinance, or a tax credit (MCC) that lowers your federal taxes.
Do I need to be a first-time buyer in the District of Columbia?
Of the 2 programs on this page, 1 requires it; the rest do not, or their page does not say. In general, “first-time buyer” means not having owned a home in the last three years.
Can I use these programs with an ITIN?
What each program’s own site says: accept an ITIN, 0; do not accept one, 0; not confirmed on its site, 2. Ask the participating lender directly before you start, and ask for it in writing.