Down payment assistance in North Carolina: every program (2026)

North Carolina Housing Finance Agency, through participating Habitat for Humanity affiliates (SHLP members)

For

Low- and moderate-income buyers purchasing a Habitat for Humanity home who take part in building or rehabbing it

Form

Deferred loan, due when you sell

Income cap

At or below 80% of county AMI (2026 HOME limits effective 6/1/26; 4-person e.g. Wake $105,850, Mecklenburg $93,900, Guilford $73,200)

Price cap

County sales price limits effective 12/1/25 (e.g. Wake $390,000, Mecklenburg $371,000, Durham $380,000)

Pairs with the state program?

unknown - SHLP is zero-interest shared mortgage financing for a Habitat home, not a layer on the NC Home Advantage Mortgage

Requires 6 hours of homebuyer education plus 2 hours of one-on-one in-person pre-purchase counseling from a HUD-approved agency. Habitat affiliates in the 20 site counties listed as SHLP members include Asheville Area (Buncombe), Brunswick County and Cape Fear (New Hanover) Habitat; full list at https://www.nchfa.com/home-ownership-partners/community-partners/current-community-partners (filter Program = Self-Help Loan Pool).

Last checked November 2026 · our sources

City of Charlotte

For

First-time buyers with household income up to 110% AMI buying in Charlotte city limits

Amount

At or below 80% AMI: base up to $30,000 plus matching funds up to $50,000 (max $80,000). 80-110% AMI: base up to $10,000 plus match up to $20,000 (max $30,000). Eligible match sources: nonprofit DPA, bank-provided DPA, buyer's own DPA

Form

Forgivable loan

Income cap

110% AMI (4-person $129,150); 80% AMI tier 4-person $93,900 (City HNS matrix effective June 1, 2026)

Price cap

$365,000 (existing and new construction)

Only first-time buyers?

Yes

Other conditions

No property ownership in past 3 years (also no land or deeded timeshare interest); 8 hours of HUD-approved homebuyer education and counseling before closing (online counts for 4 hours, the other 4 must be one-on-one); certificate valid 1 year; must use a House Charlotte approved lender (lender applies); primary residence inside city limits; 0% interest, 30-year term forgiven at year 31, 30-year affordability period with recapture deed restriction. Funds can also lower the interest rate. Can often be combined with NCHFA CPLP.

DreamKey page says 'Limited Funding. Plan Ahead.' FAQ revised June 2026. City overview: https://www.charlottenc.gov/HNS/Housing/Homeowners/Pages/default.aspx. City, Mecklenburg County and CMS employees get a separate match-free tier (see occupation_specific).

Last checked November 2026 · our sources

City of Raleigh

For

First-time buyers at or below 80% AMI buying in Raleigh city limits

Amount

Up to $45,000

Form

Deferred loan, due when you sell

Income cap

80% AMI: 1-person $74,100, 2 $84,700, 3 $95,300, 4 $105,850, 5 $114,350, 6 $122,800, 7 $131,300, 8 $139,750

Price cap

$389,500 in the page's program description; $384,750 in its Step 4 (page is inconsistent)

Only first-time buyers?

Yes

Other conditions

0% interest, no payments until the home is sold or stops being the primary residence; homeownership class certificate required (DHIC, 919-832-4345); must buy within city limits; apply through an FY27 approved lender. Contact housing@raleighnc.gov, 919-996-4330.

Page updated Sep 4, 2026. It doesn't say whether the loan is ever forgiven or give a term in years. The page lists only single-family homes in one section but also townhomes and condos in another.

Last checked November 2026 · our sources

City of Raleigh (designated target areas only)

For

First-time buyers at or below 80% AMI buying in the city's bond target areas

Amount

Up to $60,000

Form

Deferred loan, due when you sell

Income cap

80% AMI (4-person $105,850)

Price cap

$450,000

Only first-time buyers?

Yes

Other conditions

Funded by the 2020 Affordable Housing Bond; home must be in a target area (map PDF and ArcGIS lookup on the page); 10-year deed restriction limits the owner's sale proceeds if sold within 10 years; same class and lender rules as the base program.

Status is inferred from the active Sep 2026 page. The page has no funding-exhausted notice, but it doesn't confirm open status either.

Last checked November 2026 · our sources

Wake County outside Raleigh and Cary (all other Wake municipalities and unincorporated areas)

For

Low- and moderate-income households

Amount

Up to $20,000

Form

Forgivable loan

Other conditions

Forgivable, no-monthly-payment loans; can be used for home purchase assistance or foreclosure prevention.

Described on the Wake County services page. The linked DHIC program page (dhic.org/wake-county-and-dhic-partner-to-secure-the-dream-of-homeownership/) returned 404, so income limit, price limit and forgiveness terms weren't verified.

Last checked November 2026 · our sources

City of Durham

For

Buyers at or below 80% AMI who haven't owned a home in 3 years, buying inside Durham city limits

Amount

Up to $80,000 (City may provide 25% of purchase price, capped at $80,000)

Form

Forgivable loan

Income cap

80% AMI (HUD FY2026): 1-person $71,200, 2 $81,400, 3 $91,550, 4 $101,700, 5 $109,850, 6 $118,000, 7 $126,150, 8 $134,250

Price cap

Up to 95% of HUD's area maximum sales price for Durham (guidelines Exhibit L; no dollar figure on the page)

Only first-time buyers?

Yes

Other conditions

0% interest, 15-year term, forgiven 1/15 per year while owner-occupied (per guidelines rev. 8/20/2024); at least 8 hours of HUD-approved homebuyer education; $1,000 minimum buyer cash; liquid assets over $25,000 must go toward the purchase; conventional, FHA, VA or jumbo first mortgage (USDA not supported); single-family homes, townhomes, condos and affixed manufactured homes; no subsidy-layering restriction. Contact 919-560-4570.

First-come, first-served 'until the $3.2 million in funding is depleted.' Lender list dated May 8, 2026. Guidelines: https://www.durhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/63161/DPA-Program-Policy-and-Underwriting-Guidelines

Last checked November 2026 · our sources

City of Greensboro

For

First-time buyers buying in Greensboro city limits

Amount

Low- to Moderate-Income (at or below 80% AMI, HOME funds): up to $25,000 + $5,000 redevelopment/reinvestment-area bonus = $30,000. Moderate-Income (#100Homes, 80-120% AMI, ARP funds): up to $20,000 + $5,000 bonus = $25,000. Minimum $1,000; never more than 20% of the price

Form

Forgivable loan

Income cap

80% AMI 4-person $73,200; 120% AMI 4-person $109,800 (current posted guidelines)

Price cap

Low- to Moderate-Income: 95% of HUD median (listed 2024 limits $247,000 existing / $313,000 new construction). Moderate-Income: no limit

Only first-time buyers?

Yes

Other conditions

0% interest second mortgage, term up to 10 years, forgiven yearly; affordability period 5 years under $15,000 and 10 years for $15,000-$40,000; 8 hours City-approved homebuyer education plus HUD-certified counseling; credit score 600+; 45% max DTI; liquid assets cap $20,000; must have a realtor; lender needs a physical NC office; fixed-rate first mortgage. Bonus areas: Eastside Park, Ole Asheboro, Willow Oaks (redevelopment) and Dudley Heights, Glenwood, Kings Forest, Mill District, Random Woods (reinvestment).

Amounts come from the City's Program Policy and Underwriting Guidelines (https://www.greensboro-nc.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/63270/638876458892000000). The cover reportedly reads July 2026, but headers say 2025 and price limits are labeled 2024, so confirm current amounts. Public Service Heroes (teachers, city/county staff, military) is listed under occupation_specific.

Last checked November 2026 · our sources

Forsyth County

For

Mortgage-ready first-time buyers at or below 80% AMI

Form

Deferred loan, due when you sell

Income cap

80% AMI effective 6/1/2026: 1-person $53,400, 2 $61,000, 3 $68,650, 4 $76,250, 5 $82,350, 6 $88,450, 7 $94,550, 8 $100,650

Price cap

Existing $268,000; new construction $305,000 (effective 12/1/2025)

Only first-time buyers?

Yes

Other conditions

HOME-funded 0% deferred 'soft' second; can pair with NCHFA CPLP (the county is a CPLP member); acceptable credit and no unpaid judgments; 8-hour homeownership class at the Center for Homeownership before closing, plus home maintenance and post-purchase sessions after closing.

The county page doesn't state the assistance amount or whether Winston-Salem city addresses are eligible.

Last checked November 2026 · our sources

Forsyth County

For

First-time buyers at or below 80% AMI preparing to buy

Amount

Save $2,000 and receive $2,000 or up to $4,000 at completion (1:1 to 1:2 match as described)

Form

Grant, nothing to repay

Income cap

80% AMI (Forsyth limits above)

Only first-time buyers?

Yes

Other conditions

8-hour homeownership class, monthly IDA classes and success-coach meetings.

The county page calls it a '1:2 or 1:4 match' but the dollar figures it gives ($2,000 saved for $2,000-$4,000) imply 1:1 or 1:2. The ESR page itself wasn't fetched.

Last checked November 2026 · our sources

City of Concord

For

First-time buyers (no home owned in 3 years) within HUD income limits buying in Concord city limits

Amount

$10,000 to $25,000 for down payment and closing costs

Form

Forgivable loan

Income cap

HUD income limits (80% AMI HOME limit for Cabarrus 4-person $93,900 per NCHFA 2026 HOME table)

Price cap

$340,000 existing; $364,075 new construction

Only first-time buyers?

Yes

Other conditions

Five-year forgivable second mortgage; 8-hour HUD-approved homebuyer education (online allowed, but at least 4 in-person hours with a HUD counselor); $1,000 of the buyer's own funds; City-approved lender; signed contract at least 45 days before closing; single-family and manufactured homes only (no condos or mobile homes).

'Funds are limited and provided on a first-come first-serve basis.' The page says the HOME Consortium (Concord, Cabarrus County, Iredell County, Kannapolis, Mooresville, Salisbury, Statesville, Rowan County) funds DPA for first-time buyers through its members and CHDOs. Member-specific programs in Iredell and Rowan weren't verified.

Last checked November 2026 · our sources

City of Greensboro

For

City of Greensboro employees, Guilford County employees, Guilford County public school teachers and administrators, active-duty military (including National Guard and Coast Guard) and military veterans; household income up to 120% AMI (4-person $109,800); first-time buyers buying in Greensboro city limits

Amount

Up to $20,000 + $10,000 redevelopment/reinvestment-area bonus (max $30,000); minimum $1,000; no more than 20% of the price; no price limit

Form

Forgivable loan

Funded by City housing bond and administered by Housing Consultants Group. 0% second mortgage, up to 10-year term, forgiven yearly. Same education, credit (600) and realtor rules as the base program. Amounts are from the posted guidelines (see local entry), which went from $15,000/$25,000 in Oct 2024 to $20,000/$30,000. Police, fire and EMS qualify only if they're City or County employees.

Last checked November 2026 · our sources

City of Charlotte

For

Borrowers employed by the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County or Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools with household income above 80% up to 110% AMI (4-person $129,150); first-time buyers

Amount

Up to $30,000 with no matching-funds requirement (other 80-110% AMI buyers get a $10,000 base plus a match)

Form

Forgivable loan

Covers CMPD officers, Charlotte Fire, city/county staff and CMS teachers. Medic (Mecklenburg EMS Agency) employees aren't named. $365,000 price cap; 0% interest, forgiven at year 31. Source: House Charlotte FAQ, rev. June 2026.

Last checked November 2026 · our sources