For most renters, the down payment is the biggest thing standing between them and a first home. DC, Maryland, and Virginia each run public programs to help, through loans with no monthly payment or grants you never repay. The catch is that every program has its own rules on income, price, and who counts as a first-time buyer, and the money can run out. Here is what the main programs offer, as listed on their official sites in November 2026, and how to get started.

First-Time Buyer May Not Mean What You Think

Most of these programs count you as a first-time buyer if you have not owned a home in the last three years. So if you owned a place years ago and have rented since, you may qualify. Each program words the test a little differently. DC's HPAP looks at any ownership interest in a home in the three years before you apply, and Virginia Housing looks at whether you owned and lived in a home as your main residence in that time.

Some programs drop the rule entirely. Maryland waives it in certain targeted areas, Virginia Housing's grant is open to repeat buyers in what it calls Areas of Economic Opportunity, and DC Open Doors is open to first-time and repeat buyers alike.

DC: HPAP and DC Open Doors

The Home Purchase Assistance Program, or HPAP, is run by DC's Department of Housing and Community Development. For first-time buyers with low or moderate incomes, it offers interest-free help with the down payment of up to $202,000, plus up to $4,000 toward closing costs. The amount depends on your household size, income, savings, and need. Lower-income households owe nothing until they sell, refinance to take cash out, or move out. Moderate-income households begin repaying after five years. Money goes out first come, first served each fiscal year, and DC's new fiscal year began October 1, 2026.

DC Open Doors is run by the DC Housing Finance Agency. It pairs a first mortgage with a down payment loan that has no interest and no monthly payment. That loan comes due when you sell, refinance, or stop living in the home, or after 30 years. When we checked in November 2026, the agency listed a borrower income limit of $216,580, which counts only the borrowers' income, and a minimum credit score of 640. You apply through a participating lender.

Maryland: The Maryland Mortgage Program

The Maryland Mortgage Program, or MMP, is run by the state's Department of Housing and Community Development through approved lenders. Its 1st Time Advantage loans are 30-year fixed-rate mortgages for first-time buyers, and most can come with down payment help. As of November 2026, that help was a flat $6,000 or 3%, 4%, or 5% of the mortgage, and buyers earning at or below half of the area median income could get 6% through the HomeStart option. The help is a second loan with no monthly payment. Ask your lender exactly when it comes due.

MMP also offers Flex loans, which repeat buyers can use, Maryland SmartBuy for first-time buyers with student debt, and Partner Match, which can match help from approved partner organizations up to $2,500. Montgomery County has its own add-on programs through MMP, and Prince George's County runs its own Pathway to Purchase program. Income and price limits vary by county and household size.

Virginia: Virginia Housing

Virginia Housing, the state's housing finance agency, offers first mortgages through approved lenders along with several kinds of down payment help. Its Down Payment Assistance Grant is a true grant, which means you never repay it. It is for first-time buyers, or repeat buyers purchasing in an Area of Economic Opportunity, whose income and purchase price fall within Virginia Housing's limits, and it can only be used with a Virginia Housing loan. Your lender can tell you how much the grant would be for your purchase.

Virginia Housing also offers a Plus Second Mortgage and a Closing Cost Assistance Grant, which generally cannot be combined with the down payment grant. First-time buyers must complete a homebuyer education course on most Virginia Housing loans. Some localities run their own programs too, so ask the housing office in the county or city where you plan to buy.

What These Programs Have in Common

The details differ, but most of these programs share the same basic rules:

  • Income limits, usually tied to the area median income and your household size.
  • Limits on the price of the home or the size of the loan.
  • The home must be your main residence.
  • A homebuyer education class, often required before closing.
  • A minimum credit score set by the program or the lender.
  • Funding that can run out before the year ends.

How to Get Started

Start with a lender approved for the program you want, because most of these programs only work through their own lender lists. Ask the lender which programs you qualify for and to show the full cost of each option, including the interest rate. A loan that comes with down payment help can carry a slightly higher rate than the same loan without it, so compare both.

Take the homebuyer education class early. It is often required, and it is useful even when it is not. In DC, HPAP starts with a housing counseling agency, which can confirm your eligibility. Then get pre-approved with the program built in before you make an offer, so your agent can write a contract with deadlines the program can meet.