Help to buy in Pennsylvania
Home-buying assistance programs in Pennsylvania
4 official programs for down payment and closing cost help in Pennsylvania, from Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency and Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation (PHDC), for the City of Philadelphia. We show what each program says on its own page, with the date we checked it.
Key numbers in Pennsylvania
- Verified programs
- 4
- from Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency and Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation (PHDC), for the City of Philadelphia
- First-time buyers only
- 1
- 3 do not require it or their pages do not say
- Accept an ITIN
- 0
- per their own site · no: 0 · unconfirmed: 4
- 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.
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Repayable
Second loan with monthly payments
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Forgivable
Second loan forgiven if you stay in the home
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Deferred
Second loan with no payments until you sell or refinance
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Grant
Grant you never repay
The full list
Programs in Pennsylvania
Filter by who qualifies, by ITIN or by kind of help. Each card quotes the source and the date we checked it.
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- Repayable
Pennsylvania state agency loan for the down payment and closing costs: up to 4% of the price or $6,000, at 0%, repaid over 10 years
What it gives, per the source
Qualified borrowers can receive up to four percent (4%) of the purchase price or market value or $6,000 (whichever is less) … amortized over a ten year term at zero percent (0%) interest.
- First-time buyer?
- The source does not say whether you must be a first-time buyer
- Accepts ITIN?
- Its site does not confirm
Run by Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA)
Verified November 5, 2026
-
PHFA second loan of 5% of the price (or the appraised value, whichever is lower) for the down payment and closing costs, forgiven 10% each year over ten years; it goes with the Keystone Home Loan mortgage
What it gives, per the source
Eligible borrowers may receive five percent (5%) of the lesser of the purchase price or appraised value with no maximum dollar limit in downpayment and closing cost assistance. The K-FIT loan is forgiven on an annual basis over ten years at a rate of ten percent (10%) a year.
- First-time buyer?
- The source does not say whether you must be a first-time buyer
- Accepts ITIN?
- Its site does not confirm
Run by Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA)
Verified November 5, 2026
-
PHFA 0% second loan with no monthly payments, of 5% of the price (8% if the loan is $150,000 or less, as funds allow) for the down payment and closing costs; repaid when you sell, refinance or pay off the mortgage
What it gives, per the source
Eligible borrowers with loan amounts less than or equal to $150,000 may receive: … 8% of the lesser of the purchase price or appraised value with no maximum dollar limit in downpayment and closing cost assistance. Note: This assistance amount is subject to availability. … Eligible borrowers with loan amounts greater than or equal to $150,001 may receive: … 5% of the lesser of the purchase price or appraised value with no maximum dollar limit in downpayment and closing cost assistance. … K-DATE assistance is provided in the form of a second mortgage with a zero percent (0%) interest rate over a 30-year term, with no monthly payments required. Repayment of the K-DATE loan is deferred and becomes due at the time of expiration. The time of expiration occurs upon the sale of the home, refinance of the mortgage or the payoff of the first mortgage.
- First-time buyer?
- The source does not say whether you must be a first-time buyer
- Accepts ITIN?
- Its site does not confirm
Run by Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA)
Verified November 5, 2026
-
Philly First Home
Only in: Philadelphia, Philadelphia County
- Grant
City of Philadelphia grant of up to $10,000 (or 6% of the price, whichever is less) for the down payment, closing costs or to reduce the loan of first-time buyers with income within the limit
What it gives, per the source
We are offering a homebuyer assistance grant of up to $10,000 (or 6% of the home’s purchase price, whichever is lower) to assist first-time homebuyers reduce the principal, cover down payment, and loan closing costs.
- First-time buyer?
- First-time buyers only
- Accepts ITIN?
- Its site does not confirm
Run by Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation (PHDC), for the City of Philadelphia
Verified November 5, 2026
No program matches your search.
Rent help
Help with rent and utility bills in Pennsylvania
One program we checked in Pennsylvania to pay rent, power or gas, or avoid an eviction, with what its page says.
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Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program
Run by Pennsylvania Department of Revenue
Pennsylvania yearly rebate for owners and renters 65 or older, widows and widowers 50 or older, and people with disabilities 18 or older, based on income
Help to repair your home
Repair programs in Pennsylvania
One program we checked in Pennsylvania to repair your home or make it more efficient, with what its page says.
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Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP)
Run by Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED)
Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania?
Of the 4 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, 4. Ask the participating lender directly before you start, and ask for it in writing.