Available State Assistance Programs for Homeowners

11. General Provisions. (a) Absolutely nothing in this order will be construed to hinder or otherwise affect: (i) the authority given by law to an executive department or firm, or the head thereof; or (ii) the functions of the Director of the Workplace of Management and Budget connecting to budgetary, administrative, or legislative propositions.

(c) This order is not planned to, and does not, create any right or advantage, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any celebration versus the United States, its departments, companies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other individual. (d) The expenses for publication of this order will be borne by the Department of the Treasury.

TRUMP THE WHITE HOUSE, March 13, 2026.

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

apfsc.org

The catch is eligibility: your qualifying income must clear your county's 2026 limitation, one customer needs a homebuyer education certificate, and MyHome and Dream For All both require novice buyer status. Dream For All is closed since July 2026, while MyHome and ZIP remain open year-round. This page sets out each program with the 2026 numbers, pulled from the company's published limitations and loan provider matrices.

How Housing Relief Works for You

Nothing sours a buyer quicker than reading about last year's program that stopped taking applications. We'll check your earnings versus the current 2026 table and tell you which state programs your file in fact supports, at no expense.

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

CalHFA is the California Housing Finance Agency, and it has actually funded homes because 1975. That financing design is why its core programs remain open year after year while grant-funded programs come and go.

Here is the part most purchasers miss. The company never provides to you directly. A CalHFA-approved personal lender stems the loan, through loan officers the state has trained. So the loan officer matters. One who seldom touches these files will not know which pairings fit your circumstance. The bond-funded core runs continually.

Comparing Refinancing vs Foreclosure Options

Dream For All is the exception, and we cover its window-based reality below. MyHome is a deferred-payment junior loan, the agency's own term for a 2nd mortgage with no monthly payments.

On conventional, VA, and USDA loans the cap is 3%. The statewide median crowning achievement approximately $930,000 in May 2026, per the California Association of Realtors. Versus that rate the FHA variation deserves more than $30,000 of assistance. One correction, because plenty of pages get this wrong and an older version of this one did too.

The program handbook specifies it as a simple-interest loan. Absolutely nothing leaves your pocket month to month. The balance you ultimately pay back is principal plus accumulated basic interest. ZIP is the truly zero-interest program. MyHome sits in second lien position behind your first mortgage. The combined loan-to-value of whatever stacked on the home can not surpass 105%.

Future Trends in Mortgage Relief

Lenders call these "quiet seconds" because the junior loan makes no regular monthly demand on your budget. Your real estate cost is simply the very first home mortgage, taxes, and insurance.

For most buyers that beats draining pipes savings at closing. The deferred balance grows gradually, and California equity has actually historically grown faster, though nobody can assure that pattern for any given year or neighborhood. ZIP represents No Interest Program. It is closing expense support in its purest form. The loan equals 2% or 3% of your first home mortgage, and it charges no interest.