Philly First Home Program

What is Philly First Home Program?

Philly First Home Program is a grant for homebuyers in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, administered by Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation (PHDC).

• A City of Philadelphia homebuyer assistance grant of up to $10,000, or 6% of the purchase price, whichever is lower. Funds may be applied to principal reduction, down payment and loan closing costs. Open to first-time buyers — including anyone who has not owned a home in the past three years — purchasing a single-family home or duplex inside Philadelphia. Condominiums are not eligible. One-on-one homeownership counseling through a City-funded housing counseling agency must be completed BEFORE the Agreement of Sale is signed, which is the step buyers most often miss. The grant is not free and clear: the City states it must be repaid if the buyer moves or refinances before living in the home for 15 years.
• Up to $10,000 (or 6% of purchase price, whichever is lower) toward principal, down payment and closing costs.
• Grant, not a monthly payment — but repayable if you move or refinance within 15 years.
• Counseling is free and City-funded.
• Income limits scale with family size with no household-size cap.
• Program materials published in English, Spanish and Simplified Chinese.
• Funding comes from City of Philadelphia — Department of Planning and Development, Division of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), administered by PHDC.

How much assistance does it provide?

Philly First Home Program offers up to $10,000 in assistance.

• The program can be combined with Explicitly bundled with Turn the Key: PHDC advertises up to $75,000 in Turn the Key mortgage buydown assistance plus up to $10,000 from Philly First Home on a newly built TTK home. Other homebuyer grants may be combined, but PHDC asks buyers to confirm compatibility with their housing counselor. A City-funded counseling agency (New Kensington CDC) states Philly First Home cannot be combined with First Front Door or the PHFA K-FIT grant; that exclusion is not corroborated on any City or PHDC page — treat as unconfirmed.
• Amounts are the program's published maximums, not an offer — Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation (PHDC) determines any individual award.

Do you have to pay it back?

Philly First Home Program is structured as a grant, so it is not repaid.

• Repayment is triggered by The City of Philadelphia states the grant must be repaid if the buyer moves or refinances before living in the home for 15 years. The City does not publish whether repayment is prorated or whether a lien or second mortgage is recorded — confirm with DHCD (215-686-9749) or a City-funded housing counselor.
• Forgiveness and repayment terms are set by the program and can change — confirm them on the official program page before applying.

Who qualifies?

Philly First Home Program is open to first-time homebuyers and buyers who will live in the home as their primary residence.

What are the income limits?

Philly First Home Program limits household income to 100% of the area median income, which varies by county and household size.

• Gross income for all family members who will live in the home, against the City of Philadelphia's 100% AMI schedule (DHCD) — the same schedule that governs Turn the Key. Maximum annual household income by family size: 1 — $85,900; 2 — $98,200; 3 — $110,500; 4 — $122,700; 5 — $132,600; 6 — $142,400; 7 — $152,200; 8 — $162,000; each additional person adds $9,800 (there is no maximum household size). The $122,700 stored in income_limit_amount is the 4-person figure. DHCD does not publish an effective year or HUD MSA name with this table.
• 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?

Philly First Home Program caps the purchase price as follows: No published maximum purchase price. The grant is the lower of $10,000 or 6% of the purchase price.

• Eligible property types include Single Family and Duplex (2-unit).

Where does it apply?

Philly First Home Program serves buyers purchasing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

How do you apply?

Applications for Philly First Home Program go through Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation (PHDC), which publishes the current terms and the application steps on its own site.

1. 1

   Take a homebuyer education course

   Required by the program, through One-on-one counseling at a City-funded housing counseling agency, required before the Agreement of Sale. Agencies on the 3/26 flyer: Affordable Housing Centers of Pennsylvania (Main, West Philadelphia, Northeast); Asociacion Puertorriquenos en Marcha (APM); Center in the Park; Clarifi; Congreso de Latinos Unidos; Esperanza; Greater Philadelphia Alliance Social Service Center (GPASS); Greater Philadelphia Community Alliance (GPCA) Houston Center; Dixon House; HACE (Central and Frankford); Intercultural Family Services; Mt. Airy CDC; New Kensington CDC; Northwest Counseling Service; Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation; Southwest CDC; Unemployment Information Center; Urban League of Philadelphia; West Oak Lane CDC; Xiente. Agencies are subject to change — the flyer is the current list..

2. 2

   Contact Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation (PHDC) to reserve funds

   Funds are reserved through Apply through a City-funded housing counseling agency, and are subject to availability.

3. 3

   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.