20 Plus Community
20 Plus Community is a deferred second loan for homebuyers in Great Falls, Montana.
The program asks for
- The home is occupied as a primary residence
- On credit: 640 minimum mid-FICO typical; per NWGF and first-mortgage lender underwriting.
- A completed homebuyer education course, through NWGF Homebuyer Education ($75 per household) and Homeownership Success Workshop required. Available in-person at NWGF Great Falls office or online via eHomeAmerica.
- Residency: Property must be located within one of the 20 designated NWGF target neighborhoods in Great Falls, Cascade County, Montana, and serve as borrower's primary residence.
- Citizenship or immigration status: Per first-mortgage product overlays.
- Property MUST be located within one of the 20 designated NWGF target neighborhoods in Great Falls. Owner-occupied primary residence. Income at or below 125% AMI for Cascade County (per seed: $47,050 1p up to $138,672 8p). Min 640 FICO typical (per first-mortgage lender / NWGF underwriting). 45% max DTI. NWGF Homebuyer Education + Homeownership Success Workshop required.
- A home inside Great Falls city limits
It doesn’t cover
- Manufactured homes
- Households above 150% of area median income
- Homes outside Great Falls
These are the program's own published rules, not a decision about any individual — the administering agency and a lender determine who actually qualifies.
Income limit
150% of Cascade County’s area median income
HUD sets the area median income each year. The limit changes with household size, so a family of five has a higher limit than a single homebuyer.
Where it applies
Great Falls’s homesGreat Falls’s homes, and the ones this program accepts
- 65.2% single-familysingle-family
- 4.3% townhousetownhouse
- 8.6% 2–4 units2–4 units
- 17.5% 5+ unitscondo & apartment buildings (5+ units)
- 4.4% mobile & othermobile home & other
A tick marks a kind of home the program’s record lists. The agency confirms it for the home you choose.
$257,000
Great Falls median home value
72.3%
built before 1980
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year. More about buying in Great Falls
How to apply
How to applyThree steps, in this order
Take a homebuyer education course
Required by the program, through NWGF Homebuyer Education ($75 per household) and Homeownership Success Workshop required. Available in-person at NWGF Great Falls office or online via eHomeAmerica..
Contact the administering agency to reserve funds
Funds are reserved through Direct application to NWGF; subject to funding availability and homebuyer education completion., and are subject to availability.
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 homebuyer can take it to a lender or housing counselor.
Questions about this program
What is 20 Plus Community?
20 Plus Community is a deferred second loan for homebuyers in Great Falls, Montana. NWGF amortizing or deferred second mortgage targeted at 20 designated Great Falls neighborhoods for neighborhood revitalization. Open to FTHBs and repeat buyers up to 125% AMI. The 20 Plus Community program from NeighborWorks Great Falls (NWGF) provides amortizing or deferred second mortgages targeted at homebuyers purchasing in 20 designated Great Falls target neighborhoods identified by NWGF for neighborhood revitalization (typically older inner-city neighborhoods including Lower North Side, Lower South Side, West Bank, etc.). Loan amount sized to need (typically $2,500-$30,000), with structure (amortizing vs deferred) varying by income tier. Combined with NWGF Homebuyer Education + Homeownership Success Workshop. Promotes neighborhood stabilization and owner-occupancy in targeted Great Falls neighborhoods. Pairs with first mortgages from MBOH or NWGF/NWMT lender partners. Funding comes from Local and NWGF.
Do you have to pay it back?
20 Plus Community is deferred, so no payments are due until the home is sold, refinanced, or the first mortgage is paid off. Repayment is triggered by Amortizing tier: monthly payments per loan term. Deferred tier: balance due on sale, refinance, payoff, or non-owner-occupancy. The assistance is recorded in 2nd Lien position. Forgiveness and repayment terms are set by the program and can change — confirm them on the official program page before applying.
Who qualifies?
20 Plus Community is open to homebuyers who will live in the home as their primary residence. On credit, the program states: 640 minimum mid-FICO typical; per NWGF and first-mortgage lender underwriting. A homebuyer education course is required, through NWGF Homebuyer Education ($75 per household) and Homeownership Success Workshop required. Available in-person at NWGF Great Falls office or online via eHomeAmerica. Residency requirement: Property must be located within one of the 20 designated NWGF target neighborhoods in Great Falls, Cascade County, Montana, and serve as borrower's primary residence. Citizenship or immigration status: Per first-mortgage product overlays. Property MUST be located within one of the 20 designated NWGF target neighborhoods in Great Falls. Owner-occupied primary residence. Income at or below 125% AMI for Cascade County (per seed: $47,050 1p up to $138,672 8p). Min 640 FICO typical (per first-mortgage lender / NWGF underwriting). 45% max DTI. NWGF Homebuyer Education + Homeownership Success Workshop required.
What are the income limits?
20 Plus Community limits household income to 150% of the area median income, which varies by county and household size. Up to 125% AMI Cascade County per seed: $47,050 (1p) up to $138,672 (8p). 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?
20 Plus Community caps the purchase price as follows: Per first-mortgage product (no NWGF program-specific cap published). Eligible property types include Single-family detached, condominium, townhouse, duplex per NWGF underwriting and properties within 20 designated Great Falls target neighborhoods only. New construction is eligible. Manufactured homes are not eligible.
Is there eligibility for specific groups?
20 Plus Community names active-duty service members, reservists and National Guard members, and surviving spouses among the groups it serves. Being named here means the program mentions the group, not that membership alone qualifies an applicant — the rest of the eligibility rules still apply.
Where does it apply?
20 Plus Community serves homebuyers purchasing in Great Falls, Montana. The program targets specific areas: 20 designated NWGF target neighborhoods within Great Falls (typically older inner-city neighborhoods identified by NWGF for revitalization). Map / list available from NWGF.
How do you apply?
Applications for 20 Plus Community go through the administering agency, which publishes the current terms and the application steps on its own site. Funds are reserved through Direct application to NWGF; subject to funding availability and homebuyer education completion. Hey Prescott is not a lender and does not accept applications; this page describes the program so a homebuyer can take it to a lender or housing counselor.
Also for Great Falls homebuyersOther programs open to Great Falls homebuyers
- City of Great Falls HOME Deferred Second MortgageUp to $50,000
- NeighborWorks Great Falls Owners in Partnership (OIP)Up to $50,000
- NeighborWorks Great Falls Low-Mod Amortizing SecondUp to $20,000
Whether two programs can be combined is up to each agency. Ask before you apply.
All 80 programs for Great FallsProgram terms are set by the administering agency and can change; confirm on the official site before you apply.