Top Federal Assistance Programs for Families

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TRUMP THE WHITE HOUSE, March 13, 2026.

CalHFA gives California first-time purchasers 4 working assistance programs in 2026: MyHome (approximately 3.5% of the cost for deposit or closing costs), ZIP (2% to 3% in zero-interest closing expense assistance), MyAccess (a 2.5% deferred loan), and Dream For All (as much as 20% of the price, topped at $150,000, for first-generation purchasers).

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The catch is eligibility: your qualifying income should clear your county's 2026 limitation, one borrower needs a property buyer education certificate, and MyHome and Dream For All both need newbie purchaser status. Dream For All is closed since July 2026, while MyHome and ZIP stay open year-round. This page lays out each program with the 2026 numbers, pulled from the firm's released limitations and lender matrices.

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Nothing sours a buyer quicker than reading about in 2015's program that stopped taking applications. Free assessment Inform us your county, credit, and rough rate range. We'll examine your earnings against the existing 2026 table and tell you which state programs your file actually supports, at no charge. 4 programs, one quick contrast.

Here is how they line up. ProgramWhat it coversAmountInterestKey requirementDown payment or closing costs3.5% (FHA), 3% (traditional, VA, USDA)Easy interest, deferredFirst-time buyer; any CalHFA initially mortgageClosing costs only2% or 3% of the first mortgageZero interestCalPLUS initially mortgageDown payment or closing costs2.5% of the loan amountDeferredCalPLUS Access initially, coupled with MyHomeDown payment or closing costsUp to 20% of rate, max $150,000 Shared appreciationFirst-generation and novice purchaser; window-basedEvery row is a deferred junior loan.

The rest of this page walks every one in detail. CalHFA is the California Real Estate Finance Firm, and it has financed homes considering that 1975. It is self-supporting instead of taxpayer-funded. The firm sells bonds and provides the profits. That financing model is why its core programs stay open year after year while grant-funded programs come and go.

The firm never ever lends to you directly. A CalHFA-approved private lending institution stems the loan, through loan officers the state has trained. The loan officer matters.

Why Mortgage Assistance Works in 2026

No application season, no lottery game, no race against a funding pool that empties mid-year. That dependability pays off when you plan months ahead. Dream For All is the exception, and we cover its window-based reality listed below. MyHome is a deferred-payment junior loan, the agency's own term for a 2nd home loan with no monthly payments.

On standard, VA, and USDA loans the cap is 3%. The statewide mean crowning achievement approximately $930,000 in May 2026, per the California Association of Realtors. Against that rate the FHA variation is worth more than $30,000 of help. One correction, since lots of pages get this wrong and an older variation of this one did too.

The program handbook defines it as a simple-interest loan. Nothing leaves your pocket month to month. But the balance you ultimately pay back is primary plus accumulated easy interest. ZIP is the truly zero-interest program. MyHome beings in second lien position behind your very first mortgage. The combined loan-to-value of whatever stacked on the home can not go beyond 105%.

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Lenders call these "quiet seconds" because the junior loan makes no month-to-month demand on your spending plan. Your housing cost is simply the very first home mortgage, taxes, and insurance coverage.

For the majority of buyers that beats draining savings at closing. The deferred balance grows slowly, and California equity has actually historically grown faster, though nobody can assure that pattern for any given year or area. ZIP represents Zero Interest Program. It is closing cost assistance in its purest form. The loan equals 2% or 3% of your very first home mortgage, and it charges no interest.