Help to buy in Rhode Island
Home-buying assistance programs in Rhode Island
3 official programs for down payment and closing cost help in Rhode Island, from RIHousing. We show what each program says on its own page, with the date we checked it.
Key numbers in Rhode Island
- Verified programs
- 3
- from RIHousing
- First-time buyers only
- 3
- all require a first-time buyer
- Accept an ITIN
- 0
- per their own site · no: 0 · unconfirmed: 3
- 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
-
Forgivable
Second loan forgiven if you stay in the home
The full list
Programs in Rhode Island
Filter by who qualifies, by ITIN or by kind of help. Each card quotes the source and the date we checked it.
-
- Deferred
Rhode Island state agency loan of $15,000 at 0% with no monthly payments for the down payment or closing costs of first-time buyers with a RIHousing mortgage; repaid when you sell or leave the home
What it gives, per the source
provides $15,000 in assistance for down payment and/or closing costs … in the form of a zero-percent (0%) interest rate loan … No monthly payments due … The loan is structured so the amount borrowed is only due when the first of the following occurs … Borrower no longer occupies home as primary residence … the property is sold, conveyed, transferred, assigned, encumbered, or mortgaged
- First-time buyer?
- First-time buyers only
- Accepts ITIN?
- Its site does not confirm
Run by RIHousing
Verified November 5, 2026
-
- Repayable
RIHousing second mortgage for first-time buyers, of up to 6% of the price or $20,000 (whichever is less) for the down payment, which you repay over 15 years at the same rate as your RIHousing mortgage
What it gives, per the source
Up to 6% of the purchase price, or $20,000, whichever is lower … Interest rate on an Extra Assistance loan will be the same as the interest rate on your RIHousing first mortgage … No fees or charges … An Extra Assistance loan is a second mortgage lien on your home … 15 year term
- First-time buyer?
- First-time buyers only
- Accepts ITIN?
- Its site does not confirm
Run by RIHousing
Verified November 5, 2026
-
FirstGenHomeRI
Only in: Central Falls, East Providence, Pawtucket, Woonsocket, Providence, Newport, Providence County, Newport County
- Forgivable
RIHousing pilot help of $25,000 for the down payment or closing costs of first-generation buyers who now live in certain cities; no interest or payments, and not repaid if you live in the home five years
What it gives, per the source
Limited funds remain, per the source
FirstGenHomeRI opens the doors for first-generation homebuyers with $25,000 in down payment and/or closing cost assistance. … Zero percent (0%) interest … No monthly payments … Forgivable after 5 years of owning and residing in the home*** … The down payment assistance is a grant that does not need to be repaid if the homeowner keeps their home for five years as their primary residence.
- First-time buyer?
- First-time buyers only
- Accepts ITIN?
- Its site does not confirm
Run by RIHousing
Verified November 5, 2026
No program matches your search.
Help to repair your home
Repair programs in Rhode Island
One program we checked in Rhode Island to repair your home or make it more efficient, with what its page says.
-
Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP)
Run by Rhode Island Department of Human Services (DHS)
Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island?
Of the 3 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, 3. Ask the participating lender directly before you start, and ask for it in writing.