Texas City Down Payment Assistance Programs (2026): What Each City Offers

You hear that your city gives buyers $40,000 or $75,000 toward a home, and for a minute the whole plan feels possible. Then you start digging and hit closed applications, income tables, and maps of city limits. It’s easy to walk away thinking the help was never real. It is real, and some of it is generous. You just need to know which programs are open, who they’re built for, and what to do if your city’s program doesn’t fit. This guide covers the eight largest city programs in Texas, what each one offers in 2026, and the statewide help that’s there when a city program isn’t.

Three Things to Know Before You Count on City Money

• “Every big city has money available right now.” Not always. City programs run on yearly funding, mostly from HUD, and they can close when it runs out. As of October 2026, Houston’s program isn’t taking new applications and Arlington’s is paused.
• “If I live in the metro, I qualify for the city program.” City programs almost always require the home to be inside that city’s limits. A home in Katy doesn’t qualify for Houston’s program, and Austin requires its Full Purpose city limits.
• “If I earn too much for the city program, I’m out of options.” Most city programs stop at 80% of area median income, but statewide programs go much higher. TSAHC’s Home Sweet Texas allows up to 150% of area median, at any household size.

With those three in mind, here’s how the big-city programs compare.

Texas City Down Payment Assistance at a Glance (2026)

Here’s what each city’s program may provide, who it’s for, and where it stood when we checked each official page in October 2026:

Dallas: Up to $50,000, or $60,000 in High-Opportunity Areas

The Dallas Homebuyer Assistance Program (DHAP) is one of the largest city programs in Texas. According to the City of Dallas DHAP page, assistance is based on need and may reach $50,000 for most homes in the city and $60,000 in designated high-opportunity areas. It’s a 0% forgivable loan, and forgiveness is prorated based on how long you live in the home.

• Who it’s for: buyers at or below 80% of area median income, purchasing inside Dallas city limits.
• Payment rule: your housing payment can’t exceed 35% of your gross monthly income.
• Who runs it: since May 1, 2026, Business and Community Lenders of Texas (BCL of Texas) manages the program, and you apply through BCL rather than the city.

The city’s Targeted Occupations version, built for certain workers earning above 80% and up to 120% of area median, has run out of funds. If you earn above 80%, the statewide programs are your main path. TSAHC’s Dallas County limit is $181,650 for Home Sweet Texas and $205,870 for Homes for Texas Heroes. Our Dallas down payment assistance guide covers the rest.

Houston: Up to $75,000, but Closed to New Applications

Houston’s Homebuyer Assistance Program (HAP) offers the biggest headline number in the state. The City of Houston HAP page says income-qualified buyers could receive up to $75,000, based on household financial need, as a no-interest forgivable loan secured by a lien. But the same page carries a notice that, because available program funds are exhausted, the city is no longer accepting or processing new applications.

• Who it was for: first-time buyers, or buyers who haven’t owned a home in 3 years, at or below 80% of area median income, buying a home that pays taxes to the City of Houston. The HAP guidelines allow up to 120% of area median in certain tax increment reinvestment zones.
• How long you stay: the city’s page describes an eight-year residency requirement. The guidelines set five years for assistance up to $50,000 and eight years for $50,000.01 to $75,000.

What to do: Don’t wait on HAP. Statewide assistance from TSAHC and TDHCA works anywhere in Harris County, inside or outside city limits. TSAHC’s Harris County limit is $156,000 for Home Sweet Texas, at any household size. Our Houston guide walks through it.

San Antonio: HIP 80 and HIP 120

San Antonio runs two Homeownership Incentive Programs, and the number in the name is the income cap. Both are 0% interest second loans with no monthly payments, and both can go toward your down payment and some closing costs, according to the City of San Antonio HIP page.

For both, you’ll take a HUD-approved 8-hour homebuyer class, put down at least $500 in earnest money, and buy inside San Antonio city limits. The never-forgiven 25% of a HIP 120 loan is typically repaid when you sell or do a cash-out refinance, so read that part of the guidelines closely.

What to do: Check your price range first. HIP’s price caps sit well below the statewide purchase price limits, so a home that works for TSAHC or TDHCA may be too expensive for HIP. Our San Antonio guide covers the statewide options across Bexar County.

Austin: Up to $40,000

The City of Austin’s homebuyer resources page says buyers may qualify for up to $40,000 toward down payment and closing costs, including prepaid expenses. To qualify, you’d generally need to:

• Be a first-time buyer, not have owned a home in the last three years, or have been displaced or divorced.
• Earn at or below 80% of median family income, which the city lists as $106,800 for a family of four.
• Buy a single-family home or condo inside Austin’s Full Purpose city limits, priced at $440,000 or less.

The page doesn’t spell out how the assistance is repaid or forgiven, so ask the city’s housing department for the terms in writing before you plan around it. For buyers above the city’s income cap, TSAHC’s Travis County limit is $201,600, one of the highest in the state. Our Austin guide has the details.

Fort Worth: Up to $25,000

Fort Worth’s Homebuyer Assistance Program offers up to $25,000 for down payment and closing costs as a forgivable loan with no payments and no interest, according to the City of Fort Worth HAP page. It’s for first-time buyers, or buyers who haven’t owned in 3 years, at or below 80% of area median income ($88,250 for a family of four), buying inside Fort Worth city limits.

Two details to know before you apply:

• You put in some of your own money. The minimum contribution is $1,000 or 2% of the price, whichever is less.
• Confirm the forgiveness period. The city’s page describes forgiveness after 10 years in the home, or 5 years for amounts under $15,000, while its September 2026 guidelines describe a 5-year lien. Get the term for your loan in writing.

Fort Worth also caps the purchase price and requires an 8-hour homebuyer class. Above the income cap, TSAHC’s Tarrant County limit is $165,450. See our Fort Worth guide.

Irving: Up to $50,000, and Taking Applications

Irving’s program is small-city money with a big-city amount. The City of Irving’s down payment assistance page describes a 0% deferred forgivable loan for a home in Irving, funded by HUD. Its August 2025 application guide lists assistance up to $50,000, with a lien that runs 5 to 20 years depending on the amount.

You’d need to be approved for a loan with a city-approved lender, not have owned a home in the last three years, and earn at or below 80% of area median. For a family of four in Dallas County, that’s $96,900, according to Irving’s HUD income table. The process starts with an orientation video and an online application. Our Irving guide covers the statewide options too.

El Paso: Two Grant Programs

El Paso’s help comes through the El Paso Housing Finance Corporation, and both of its homebuyer programs are grants:

• Mi Casa Homebuyer Grant Program: up to $20,000 for down payment and closing costs, listed as open on the city’s housing finance corporation page. Income limits are $90,600 for 1 to 2 people and $105,340 for 3 or more, or $109,920 and $128,240 in target areas. You’ll complete homebuyer education before closing, and you need to be a first-time buyer unless you’re buying in a target area.
• Welcome Home El Paso: a grant of up to 5% of the mortgage principal, according to the El Paso HFC’s homebuyer page. Income limits are $90,100 for 1 to 2 people and $103,615 for 3 or more, the maximum home price is $349,525, and the minimum credit score is 620. You apply through the HFC’s approved lenders.

Both require a home inside El Paso city limits. TSAHC’s El Paso County limit is $152,250 at any household size. Our El Paso guide has more.

Arlington: Up to $20,000, Currently Paused

Arlington’s Homebuyers Assistance Program (AHAP) may provide a forgivable loan of up to $20,000 at 0% interest, forgiven after a five-year affordability period as long as the home isn’t sold, cash-out refinanced, or leased. As of October 2026, the City of Arlington’s page says the program has no local partner to administer it and the city is working to bring it back. In the meantime, statewide programs cover Arlington the same way they cover the rest of Tarrant County. See our Arlington guide.

If You Earn Too Much for Your City’s Program

This is where a lot of buyers give up too early. City programs mostly stop at 80% of area median income. TSAHC’s Home Sweet Texas goes up to 150%, and that limit applies at any household size. Here’s the gap for a family of four:

TSAHC and TDHCA offer assistance of up to 5% of your loan amount, which is roughly $5,790 to $14,475 at 2% to 5% on a $300,000 home with an FHA loan. That’s less than the biggest city programs, but it’s available in every county, it has much higher income limits, and it doesn’t depend on a city’s yearly budget. Our guide to the Texas first-time home buyer grant shows the dollar amounts in detail, and our TSAHC income limits page lists every county.

Can You Use City and State Assistance Together?

Sometimes. City programs are usually a second or third lien, and whether one can sit alongside TSAHC or TDHCA assistance depends on both programs’ rules and on your lender. Arlington’s page, for example, says its amount depends on underwriting and subsidy layering reviews, which look at how much total help you’re getting. A few local housing finance corporations go the other way and design their gifts specifically to pair with TDHCA loans, like the McKinney HFC’s $5,000 and the Capital Area HFC’s $7,500.

What to do: Ask your lender these four questions before you choose:

1. Can this city program be combined with TSAHC or TDHCA assistance on my loan?
2. If it can, does combining them change the first-mortgage rate or the amount of either one?
3. When is each piece forgiven, and what makes it due early (selling, refinancing, renting the home out)?
4. If the city’s funds run out before closing, what’s my backup?

What About Other Texas Cities?

Plenty of smaller cities run their own programs, and they open and close on their own schedules. When we checked in October 2026, we didn’t find a current homebuyer assistance application on the City of Plano’s or the City of Corpus Christi’s websites. If you’re buying elsewhere, search your city’s housing or community development department, and ask your lender what’s available for the exact address. Statewide help from TSAHC and TDHCA applies everywhere in Texas either way.

How to Get City Down Payment Assistance

1. Confirm the address is inside city limits. Most programs have a map, and a mailing address that says the city name isn’t always enough.
2. Check the income limit for your household size. City programs usually count your whole household’s income, not just the borrowers’.
3. Check the program’s price limit. Several city caps are much lower than statewide limits.
4. Take the required homebuyer class early. Some cities require an 8-hour HUD-approved course before you can apply.
5. Work with a lender who knows the program. Many city programs only work through approved lenders, and they’ll know whether funds are open this month.
6. Line up statewide assistance as your backup. If city funding runs out or your income is over the cap, you won’t lose your timeline.

If you’d like help sorting out which programs fit your income and address, you can see what you may qualify for and get connected with a licensed mortgage professional in our Texas partner network.

City programs can feel like a lottery: big numbers, short windows, and fine print about city limits. But you don’t need to win it to buy a home. If your city’s program is open and you fit it, it can be the biggest check in your closing file. If it isn’t, statewide help is still there, with higher income limits and no city-limits rule. Know both, and you’ll never be stuck waiting on one budget cycle.

Texas City Down Payment Assistance: Frequently Asked Questions

Texas city down payment assistance: frequently asked questions

† ShopDPA is The Texas Down Payment Assistance Marketplace, a home loan and down payment assistance referral service. We are not a mortgage lender, mortgage broker, or loan officer, and we do not originate, fund, or service loans. We connect Texas homebuyers with licensed mortgage professionals and with down payment assistance programs. We are not affiliated with TSAHC, TDHCA, HUD, or any city, county, or government agency, and we do not administer any city program described on this page. City program amounts, income limits, price limits, forgiveness terms, and funding status are set by each city and its partners and change frequently; figures on this page reflect each official source as checked in October 2026 and may lag those sources. Assistance is subject to funding availability, program approval, and lender approval. Confirm your eligibility with the program and a participating licensed lender. Equal Housing Opportunity.