Down payment assistance · Shelby County
Buying a home in Helena, AL
9 statewide.Helena has no program of its own, and 9 statewide. Here is what each one offers, what the local market looks like, and who near you can walk you through it.
What’s local to Helena
No program of Helena’s own yet
No program run for Helena or for Shelby County alone is listed. A home in Helena can use the Alabama statewide and federal programs below.
The closest city that runs its own program is Birmingham, about 16 miles away. City programs usually require the home to be inside that city’s limits.
The Helena marketThe Helena housing market
Kinds of homes hereWhat’s for sale here, and what the programs accept
Kinds of homes in Helena
- 94.8% single-familysingle-family
- 2% townhousetownhouse
- 0.5% 2–4 units2–4 units
- 2% 5+ unitscondo & apartment buildings (5+ units)
- 0.6% mobile & othermobile home & other
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year (2020–2024). Table B25024.
When Helena’s homes were built
10%
of Helena homes were built before 1980. Pre-1978 homes come with a federal lead-paint disclosure.of homes were built before 1980. A home built before 1978 comes with a federal lead-paint disclosure, and some programs require an inspection.
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year (2020–2024). Table B25034.
13 of the 71 programs here set their income limit as a share of Shelby County’s area median income, adjusted for household size. See the published limits for Shelby County
Free help nearbyFree help near Helena
3 HUD-approved counseling agencies within 15 miles3 HUD-approved housing counseling agencies within 15 miles
Create a free account to see who’s near you and pick one.A HUD-approved counselor teaches homebuyer classes and can walk you through your options. Create a free account to see who’s near you and pick one.
Free account → 90-second match → your counselors · Sign in
Across Alabama and nationwide
71 statewide & federal programs9 statewide programs, plus federal options
Helena questions
Does Helena have its own down payment program?
No program run for Helena alone is listed. A home in Helena can use the 9 statewide programs. Each program’s own site has the current terms.
Can I use assistance on a condo in Helena?
Each program sets which kinds of homes it accepts. Where the agency publishes them, the program’s page lists them; the agency confirms it for the home you choose.
What is the income limit in Shelby County?
Each program sets its own. 13 of the programs here set theirs as a share of HUD’s area median income for Shelby County, adjusted for household size. HUD publishes the median each year; the 2026 figure is shown above and on the published limits page.
Where can I take a homebuyer class near Helena?
HUD-approved housing counseling agencies teach homebuyer classes, and 3 agencies are within 15 miles of Helena. Create a free account and take the 90-second match to see the ones near you.
ZIP codes
35080
Nearby in Shelby
Sources
Sources: agency sites (June–July 2026), Census ACS 2024 5-year, HUD FY2026, HUD counseling list. Hey Prescott is not a lender.Programs: Hey Prescott catalog of 2,000+ programs, each verified with its agency (June–July 2026). Market: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year (2020–2024). Income: HUD FY2026 income limits. Counselors: HUD list of approved housing counseling agencies. Hey Prescott is not a lender.