City of Norwalk First Time Home Buyer Program
Available Assistance
The City can invest up to $85,000 in down payment and closing cost assistance. These assistance funds will be given to qualifying applicants in the form of zero-interest loans. The amount each borrower receives varies based on sale price, annual household income, and down payment amount.
Eligibility Requirements
All applicants must be first-time homebuyers, defined as those who have not owned a home during the three-year period immediately prior to the purchase, or someone who has owned a home within the last three years but qualifies as a displaced homemaker or a single parent. The applicant’s household must be considered low-income. This means the annual household income must fall at or under 80% of the area median income. Additionally, applicants must have a debt-to-income ratio no higher than 40%, and they are required to contribute a minimum of 3% of the purchase price towards the down payment.
Property Guidelines
Any home purchased with program funds must serve as the borrower’s primary residence and not exceed 95% of the area median purchase price for the type of housing. Eligible property types include single-family homes, condominiums, or manufactured homes (must be located on land that is owned by the manufactures housing unit owner, or land on which they have a lease for at least the period of affordability). All homes purchased must be suitable for the size of the household and must be appraised by a qualified appraiser.
*Seller-funded down payment programs were eliminated in the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, but state and local government agencies are still permitted to help borrowers finance their homes with second mortgages and grants. These agencies set different requirements that a borrower needs to meet in order to qualify for the grant programs, such as property location, and purchase price and income limits.
Note: All figures mentioned above were accurate at the time of publication and may no longer be current. Visit the program website for updated information.
First-Time Homebuyer Programs in Connecticut
Fairfield First Time Homebuyer Assistance Program
Fairfield First Time Homebuyer Assistance Program is funded by HUD to help potential homeowners afford the down payment and closing costs on a new home.
City of Norwalk First Time Home Buyer Program
The City of Norwalk's First Time Home Buyer program helps low-income families the opportunity to affordably purchase their first home.
City of Bridgeport Down Payment Assistance Program
The City of Bridgeport offers the First-Time Homebuyer Down Payment Assistance Program to help homebuyers achieve their dreams of homeownership by providing assistance loans up to $15,000.
City of New Haven Down Payment/Closing Costs Assistance for First Time Homebuyers
The City of New Haven offers a Down Payment and Closing Costs Assistance Program to help first-time homebuyers afford their dream home.
Connecticut Housing Finance Authority First-Time Homebuyer Guide
The Connecticut Housing Finance Authority has put together the CHFA First-Time Homebuyer Guide to help first-time homebuyers understand the mortgage process and make better decisions.
SmartMove Connecticut
The SmartMove Connecticut program helps first-time homebuyers bridge the gap between affording a house payment and the larger, upfront costs of down payments and closing costs.
First-time homebuyer assistance programs and/or grants were researched by the team at FHA.com. Please note that all programs listed on this website may involve a second mortgage with payments that are forgiven, deferred, or subsidized in some manner until resale of the mortgaged property.
FHA.com's compilation is not a complete list, but it can serve as a starting point in your search for the down payment assistance program or grant for your situation. It is up to the consumer to contact these entities and find out the specifics of each program.
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