Help to buy in Massachusetts
Home-buying assistance programs in Massachusetts
2 official programs for down payment and closing cost help in Massachusetts, from MassHousing and City of Boston Mayor's Office of Housing. We show what each program says on its own page, with the date we checked it.
Key numbers in Massachusetts
- Verified programs
- 2
- from MassHousing and City of Boston Mayor's Office of Housing
- First-time buyers only
- 2
- all require a first-time buyer
- 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
-
Grant
Grant you never repay
The full list
Programs in Massachusetts
Filter by who qualifies, by ITIN or by kind of help. Each card quotes the source and the date we checked it.
-
- Deferred
- Repayable
Massachusetts state agency second mortgage for the down payment: up to $30,000 at 0% and deferred, or up to $25,000 at 2% or 3% over 15 years, for first-time buyers with eligible income
What it gives, per the source
MassHousing provides down payment assistance in the form of a second mortgage loan. … MassHousing-approved lenders determine which type and the amount of down payment assistance a borrower is eligible for.
- First-time buyer?
- First-time buyers only
- Accepts ITIN?
- Its site does not confirm
Run by MassHousing
Verified November 5, 2026
-
First-Time Homebuyer Program
Only in: Boston, Suffolk County
- Grant
- Deferred
City of Boston help with the down payment and closing costs: up to 3% of the price (maximum $50,000) with income under 100% of the median, or up to 2% (maximum $35,000) between 101% and 135%; it is a grant for people who already live in Boston and a deferred 0% loan for those who do not
What it gives, per the source
For those with total household income less than 100 percent of Area Median Income (AMI), the down payment assistance amount is up to three (3) percent of the purchase price, plus eligible closing costs, with a maximum award amount of $50,000. For those with a total household income between 101 and 135 percent of AMI, the down payment assistance amount is up to two (2) percent of the purchase price, plus eligible closing costs, with a maximum award amount of $35,000. … Boston Residents: Assistance will be a grant. … Non-Boston Residents: Assistance will be a 0% interest deferred loan — repayable upon transfer, refinance, or sale of the property.
- First-time buyer?
- First-time buyers only
- Accepts ITIN?
- Its site does not confirm
Run by City of Boston Mayor's Office of Housing (Boston Home Center)
Verified November 5, 2026
No program matches your search.
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 Massachusetts?
Of the 2 programs on this page, all require it. 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.