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Northern Virginia Down Payment & Closing Cost Assistance (CFH)

CFH (Catholics for Housing, Inc. / Creating Foundations for Hope) · Manassas, Virginia

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Assistance

$40,000

The maximum the program publishes — not an offer

Income limit

80% AMI

Of area median income; varies by county and household size

Repayment

Forgivable

Forgiven once the program's conditions are met

What is Northern Virginia Down Payment & Closing Cost Assistance (CFH)?

Northern Virginia Down Payment & Closing Cost Assistance (CFH) is a forgivable loan for homebuyers in Manassas, Virginia, administered by CFH (Catholics for Housing, Inc. / Creating Foundations for Hope).

  • CFH (Catholics for Housing, Inc., d/b/a Creating Foundations for Hope), a Manassas-based 501(c)(3), administers the Virginia DHCD HOMEownership Down Payment and Closing Cost Assistance (DPA) program in Northern Virginia. It provides down payment and closing cost assistance to first-time homebuyers at or below 80% of area median income, structured as a forgivable second deed of trust with an affordability period scaled to the amount of assistance. Assistance cannot exceed 10% (15% in high-cost areas) of the sale price, and buyers must contribute at least 1% and complete HUD-certified homebuyer education and CFH counseling.
  • Down payment & closing cost assistance (up to 10%, or 15% in high-cost areas, of sale price).
  • Forgivable second deed of trust.
  • Homeownership counseling.
  • HUD-certified homebuyer education.
  • This is a federal program, so it is available beyond a single state or city.
  • Funding comes from Virginia DHCD HOME Investment Partnerships funds (federal).

How much assistance does it provide?

Northern Virginia Down Payment & Closing Cost Assistance (CFH) offers up to $40,000 in assistance.

  • Award tiers: Affordability period tiers by assistance amount: <=$14,999 (5 yrs), $15,000-$40,000 (10 yrs), >$40,000 (15 yrs).
  • Buyer contribution: Buyer down payment must equal at least 1% of the property cost; earnest money deposit of 1% of sales price, not less than $1,000.
  • Amounts are the program's published maximums, not an offer — CFH (Catholics for Housing, Inc. / Creating Foundations for Hope) determines any individual award.

Do you have to pay it back?

Northern Virginia Down Payment & Closing Cost Assistance (CFH) is a forgivable loan, so the balance is forgiven once the program's conditions are met.

  • Repayment is triggered by Funds are recaptured if, during the affordability period, the property is refinanced, sold, the forgivable second trust is assumed, the property ceases to be the principal residence, the property is leased/rented, the property is renovated to reduce bedrooms, or covenants are breached.
  • The assistance is recorded in Second position.
  • Forgiveness and repayment terms are set by the program and can change — confirm them on the official program page before applying.

Who qualifies?

Northern Virginia Down Payment & Closing Cost Assistance (CFH) 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: Counts as first-time if no ownership interest in real estate in the last 3 years.
  • The home is occupied as a primary residence
  • On credit: No published numeric minimum; must meet mortgage/lender requirements.
  • A completed homebuyer education course, through HUD-certified Homebuyer Education Class (e.g., Virginia Housing homeownership class) plus CFH homeownership counseling
  • Residency: Property must be in CFH's Northern Virginia service area.
  • DRAFT (dpa-gap-finder 2026-06-12): pending admin review. Forgivable second deed of trust with affordability period scaled to assistance amount (5/10/15 years). Max 95% LTV; first mortgage must be fixed-rate 30/35/38-yr USDA/Virginia Housing/FHA/VA/Habitat/conventional. Requires signed purchase offer (turn-key property), home inspection, FHA appraisal, 1% buyer down payment, 1%/min $1,000 earnest money, HUD-certified education, CFH counseling. No special-population targeting. Unconfirmed: max purchase price dollar figure, annual funding cap, exact reconciliation between the two NoVA income tables shown.

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?

Northern Virginia Down Payment & Closing Cost Assistance (CFH) limits household income to 80% of the area median income, which varies by county and household size.

  • HOME Program Income Limits (NoVA), as of May 2026, by household size: 1 $74,800; 2 $85,450; 3 $96,150; 4 $106,800; 5 $115,350; 6 $123,900; 7 $132,450; 8 $141,000. (Program guidelines page also shows a separate lower CFH NoVA DPA eligibility table: 1 $68,500; 2 $78,250; 3 $88,050; 4 $97,800; 5 $105,650; 6 $113,450; 7 $121,300.).
  • The limit applies to total household income, not only the borrower&rsquo;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.

What kind of home can it be used for?

Northern Virginia Down Payment & Closing Cost Assistance (CFH) caps the purchase price as follows: Cash assets cannot exceed 10% of the sales price; subject to DHCD HOME sales price limits.

  • Eligible property types include Single Family, Condo, Townhouse, Manufactured, and 2-4 Unit.
  • Manufactured homes are eligible.

Where does it apply?

Northern Virginia Down Payment & Closing Cost Assistance (CFH) is a federal program, so it is not limited to Virginia.

How do you apply?

Applications for Northern Virginia Down Payment & Closing Cost Assistance (CFH) go through CFH (Catholics for Housing, Inc. / Creating Foundations for Hope), which publishes the current terms and the application steps on its own site.

  1. Take a homebuyer education course

    Required by the program, through HUD-certified Homebuyer Education Class (e.g., Virginia Housing homeownership class) plus CFH homeownership counseling.

  2. Contact CFH (Catholics for Housing, Inc. / Creating Foundations for Hope) to reserve funds

    Funds are reserved through Application package submitted to CFH; processed on receipt subject to funding availability., and are subject to availability.

  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.

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