The City of Boston runs its own down payment assistance out of the Mayor’s Office of Housing, through the Boston Home Center. It pairs with a first mortgage from one of the city’s participating lenders, and right now it has a date attached to it.
What the grant pays
For a household with income less than 100 percent of Area Median Income, the grant is three percent of the purchase price, to a maximum of $50,000, plus closing costs if applicable. For a household with income between 101 and 135 percent of AMI, it’s two percent of the purchase price, to a maximum of $35,000. If the buyer is purchasing a deed-restricted property, the amount is two percent of the purchase price.
Who qualifies
You have to be a first-time homebuyer, which the City defines as not having owned a property in the past three years. Household income has to be less than 135 percent of AMI, and household assets have to be less than $100,000. You have to be buying a one- to three-family residential property or a condominium in Boston, and the home has to be your primary residence. You also have to graduate from a CHAPA-approved Homebuying 101 class and have a first mortgage pre-approval from one of the program’s participating mortgage lenders. The first mortgage has to adhere to the Fannie Mae general loan limits. The City also notes that applicants may be deemed ineligible if, based on household total assets, there is no demonstrated need.
Grant or loan depends on where you live now
For Boston residents, the assistance is a grant. For buyers who don’t currently live in Boston, it’s a 0% interest deferred loan, repayable upon transfer, refinance, or sale.
The September 15 change
Effective September 15, 2026, program assistance provided to non-Boston residents will be structured as 0% interest deferred loans, secured by a mortgage and promissory note. The City published a carve-out: non-Boston residents who submit a complete application, along with a signed offer or fully executed Purchase & Sale agreement, on or before September 14, 2026, will not be subject to this change. If you’re house hunting from a neighboring city or town and you’re close on a property, check where September 14 lands against your timeline.
How to sequence it
The City lists the steps in order: read the program information and the application checklist, register and complete the Homebuying 101 course, get a mortgage pre-approval from one of the participating lenders, then complete the Financial Assistance Application and submit your documents. Completing the class is required to be eligible for any homebuyer loan program, and applicants are required to work with one of the approved lenders on the list to be eligible.
Buying your first place in Greater Boston? Tell me the neighborhoods you’re looking at and your timeline, and I’ll tell you which programs you actually fit. Diana Kim, REALTOR®, eXp Realty.
Questions
Common questions
How much down payment help does the City of Boston give a first-time buyer?
Three percent of the purchase price up to $50,000, plus closing costs if applicable, for a household with income less than 100 percent of Area Median Income. For income between 101 and 135 percent of AMI it's two percent of the purchase price up to $35,000, and the same two percent applies to a deed-restricted property.
Do I have to already live in Boston to use it?
No, but it changes the form of the help. For Boston residents the assistance is a grant. For buyers who don't live in Boston, it's a 0% interest deferred loan, repayable upon transfer, refinance, or sale.
What is changing on September 15, 2026?
From that date, assistance to non-Boston residents is structured as a 0% interest deferred loan secured by a mortgage and promissory note. Non-Boston residents who submit a complete application with a signed offer or a fully executed Purchase & Sale agreement on or before September 14, 2026 are not subject to the change.
Written by Diana Yeji Kim — REALTOR® at eXp Realty, serving Greater Boston in English, Korean, and Japanese.
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