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Douglass Community Land Trust - Pay It Forward Single Family Homeownership

Douglass Community Land Trust (Douglass CLT) · Washington, District of Columbia

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Income limit

80% AMI

Of area median income; varies by county and household size

Repayment

Shared appreciation

Settled on the terms set by Douglass Community Land Trust (Douglass CLT)

What is Douglass Community Land Trust - Pay It Forward Single Family Homeownership?

Douglass Community Land Trust - Pay It Forward Single Family Homeownership is a shared-appreciation loan for homebuyers in Washington, District of Columbia, administered by Douglass Community Land Trust (Douglass CLT).

  • Douglass CLT's Pay It Forward Single Family Homeownership program makes permanently affordable for-sale homes (rowhomes, townhomes, detached homes, and condos) available to income-qualified DC residents at below-market prices. The CLT retains ownership of the land under a 99-year land lease (or a deed-restricted covenant for condos) containing an MFI-indexed resale formula, so each owner builds equity while keeping the home affordable for the next low-to-moderate income buyer. Buyers must be first-time homebuyers at or below 80% AMI, qualify for a mortgage, and demonstrate a housing need.
  • Below-market purchase price.
  • Permanent affordability via 99-year land lease / deed-restricted covenant.
  • Equity growth through MFI-indexed resale formula.
  • Credit for pre-approved improvements at resale.
  • Ongoing CLT stewardship support.
  • Can be combined with DC HPAP.
  • Funding comes from Grant-funded permanent subsidy invested into CLT properties (retained across successive sales); partnerships with developers such as Habitat for Humanity.

Do you have to pay it back?

Douglass Community Land Trust - Pay It Forward Single Family Homeownership is a shared-appreciation loan and is repaid under the terms set by Douglass Community Land Trust (Douglass CLT).

  • Repayment is triggered by No loan to repay; affordability enforced via a 99-year land lease (or deed-restricted covenant for condos) containing an MFI-indexed resale formula. On resale the owner sells at a price affordable to a household at about the same income level.
  • The assistance is recorded in Not a lien; Douglass CLT retains ownership of the land and leases it under a 99-year ground lease with a resale-restriction covenant position.
  • Forgiveness and repayment terms are set by the program and can change — confirm them on the official program page before applying.

Who qualifies?

Douglass Community Land Trust - Pay It Forward Single Family Homeownership is open to first-time homebuyers and buyers who will live in the home as their primary residence.

The program requires

  • First-time homebuyer — with exceptions: First-time homebuyer defined as not having owned real estate in the last 3 years.
  • The home is occupied as a primary residence
  • On credit: Not published; applicant must obtain pre-qualification from a mortgage lender and qualify for a mortgage.
  • Residency: Permanently affordable ownership housing for qualifying DC residents; home must be the owner's primary residence.
  • DRAFT (dpa-gap-finder 2026-06-13): pending review. Applicant must: have a willingness to 'Pay It Forward'; be a first-time homebuyer (no real estate ownership in last 3 years); have mortgage pre-qualification; if using HPAP, hold a current HPAP Notice of Eligibility; and meet a housing-need test. Gaps: exact dollar income limits by household size, whether homebuyer education is mandatory, min credit score, DTI, asset caps, and per-project purchase prices not published program-wide.

The program excludes

  • Households above 80% of area median income

These are the program's own published rules, not a decision about any individual — the administering agency and a lender determine who actually qualifies.

What are the income limits?

Douglass Community Land Trust - Pay It Forward Single Family Homeownership limits household income to 80% of the area median income, which varies by county and household size.

  • Household income must not exceed 80% of Area Median Income based on family size; some projects have lower maximum incomes. Income limits referenced from DC AMI tables.
  • The limit applies to total household income, not only the borrower’s.
  • Area median income figures are published by HUD and updated annually, so check the current table for the county before relying on a number.

What kind of home can it be used for?

Douglass Community Land Trust - Pay It Forward Single Family Homeownership caps the purchase price as follows: Below-market purchase price set per home/project and advertised in advance; not a fixed program-wide cap.

  • Eligible property types include Single Family, Townhome, and Condo.
  • New construction is eligible.

Where does it apply?

Douglass Community Land Trust - Pay It Forward Single Family Homeownership serves buyers purchasing in Washington, District of Columbia.

How do you apply?

Applications for Douglass Community Land Trust - Pay It Forward Single Family Homeownership go through Douglass Community Land Trust (Douglass CLT), which publishes the current terms and the application steps on its own site.

  1. Contact Douglass Community Land Trust (Douglass CLT) to reserve funds

    Funds are reserved through Each home/project advertised in advance with specific income range and sale price; applicants apply for available homes listed by Douglass CLT., and are subject to availability.

  2. Work with a lender who handles the program

    Hey Prescott is not a lender and does not accept applications; this page describes the program so a buyer can take it to a lender or housing counselor.

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