HouseCharlotte Program
Financial Assistance for Homebuyers in North Carolina
Available Assistance
HouseCharlotte Program’s assistance can be used for any combination of the following: down payment, closing cost (that may also include credit repair/ counseling), and interest rate buy-down. These funds are provided by the City in the form of 5, 10, or 15-year deferred, forgivable loans.
The program features down payment assistance for Charlotte Community Heroes – law enforcement officers, charter and pre-K-12th grade public school employees, paraprofessionals, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, healthcare workers, and other essential workers.
The amount of assistance funds an applicant receives varies by their income level and profession:
- Up to $10,000 for those at or under 80% area median income (AMI) purchasing within Charlotte City limits
- Up to $10,000 for Public Service Employees at or under 80% AMI purchasing within Charlotte City limits
- Up to $7,500 for those at or under 80% AMI, up to 110% AMI purchasing within Charlotte City limits.
- Up to $17,000 for those at or below 80% AMI purchasing in select, high-cost neighborhoods.
Eligibility Requirements
HouseCharlotte Programs offers loan options for households with incomes at or below 80% area median income, but families with a household income that is 110% or less of the HUD Area Median Income may be eligible. All applicants are required to complete pre-purchase homebuyer education and counseling through a HUD-approved Housing Counseling Agency.
Any home purchased with HouseCharlotte Program funds must serve as the borrower’s primary residence. The maximum purchase price allowed is $300,000 for new construction properties and $245,000 for existing properties.
*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.
Down payment 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.
Down Payment Grants in North Carolina
Greensboro Homebuyer Down Payment Assistance
The homebuyer down payment and closing cost assistance program (DPA) is a source of financial assistance for first-time homebuyers purchasing homes within Greensboro city limits
HouseCharlotte Program
DreamKey Partners helps to administer the HouseCharlotte Program on behalf of the City of Charlotte.
NC Home Advantage Mortgage Program
This program provides stable, fixed-rate mortgage and down payment assistance of up to 5 percent of the loan amount. Repayment of the down payment is not required, unless the property is sold, refinanced, or transferred within 15 years.
Raleigh Homebuyer Program
In order to help more residents of Raleigh secure safe and affordable housing, the City provides assistance to qualifying individuals with its Homebuyer Program.
Winston-Salem Home Ownership AssistanceProgram
The City of Winston-Salem Homebuyer Assistance Program provides financial and technical assistance to first-time homebuyers with incomes less than 80% of the area median income.
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