Communities First - Down Payment Assistance Program

Communities First - Down Payment Assistance Program is a grant for homebuyers in Statewide, Ohio. Communities First DPA: 3-5% true grant for down payment and closing costs, statewide Ohio, NO first-time-homebuyer requirement, 620 FICO. Workforce housing program issued by The Port of Greater Cincinnati. Communities First DPA provides 3% to 5% of the first mortgage amount as a true GRANT (no repayment, no lien) toward down payment and closing costs. Available statewide in Ohio. NO first-time homebuyer requirement — workforce housing focus. Administered by The Port (Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority) acting as Ohio's statewide HFA-equivalent issuer for this DPA. Funding comes from State, HFA, Bond, and TBA.

Communities First - Down Payment Assistance Program is structured as a grant, so it is not repaid. Repayment is triggered by None — true grant, no lien, no repayment. The assistance is recorded in Grant (no lien) position. Forgiveness and repayment terms are set by the program and can change — confirm them on the official program page before applying.

Communities First - Down Payment Assistance Program is open to homebuyers who will live in the home as their primary residence. On credit, the program states: 620 minimum FICO; some products require 640+. Residency requirement: Property in Ohio, owner-occupied as primary residence. Citizenship or immigration status: U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or qualifying non-permanent resident alien per first-mortgage product. Income at or below ~140% AMI county-specific (statewide range; user input shows $78,200-$113,160 for typical Ohio counties). 620 minimum FICO. 50% DTI cap. Owner-occupied primary residence in Ohio. Property must be 1-2 unit single-family. NO FTHB requirement. Workforce housing focus.

Communities First - Down Payment Assistance Program limits household income to 140% of the area median income, which varies by county and household size. Income limits vary by county; typical range $78,200-$113,160 (~140% AMI). The limit applies to total household income, not only the borrower’s. The program lists a maximum household size of 8. Area median income figures are published by HUD and updated annually, so check the current table for the county before relying on a number.

Communities First - Down Payment Assistance Program caps the purchase price as follows: Per first-mortgage product loan limits (no Communities First-specific cap). Eligible property types include Single-family detached, condo, townhouse, PUD, 1-2 unit owner-occupied. New construction is eligible. Manufactured homes are not eligible.

Communities First - Down Payment Assistance Program names veterans, 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.

Communities First - Down Payment Assistance Program serves homebuyers purchasing in Statewide, Ohio.

Applications for Communities First - Down Payment Assistance Program go through the administering agency, which publishes the current terms and the application steps on its own site. Funds are reserved through Communities First-approved lender reserves grant via program portal at time of loan reservation. 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.