DC Homebuyer Assistance Explained: HPAP, EAHP and DC Open Doors

Three District programs help buyers with down payment and closing costs: HPAP and EAHP, run by the DC Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), and DC Open Doors, run by the DC Housing Finance Agency (DCHFA).

HPAP: Home Purchase Assistance Program

• Help: A deferred loan covering the down payment and up to $4,000 of closing costs, due if you sell, refinance or move out. Lower-income borrowers make no monthly payments; moderate-income borrowers begin principal-only payments in year six.
• Who qualifies: First-time buyers (no residential ownership in three years) buying a DC primary residence, with household income up to 110 percent of median family income. DC residents get priority.
• Limits: For loans closing after July 1, 2026, maximum assistance runs from $202,000 at or below 50 percent of median family income to $70,000 at the top tier, where the four-person income limit is $182,700.
• How to apply: Start with a DHCD-funded counseling organization for orientation, training and intake. Eligible applicants need a Notice to Proceed, issued once funds are reserved; your mortgage company submits the loan package to the Greater Washington Urban League or DCHFA. Funding runs by fiscal year starting October 1.

EAHP: Employer-Assisted Housing Program

• Help: A deferred loan up to $20,000, plus a matching grant of $1,000 per $2,500 of your non-retirement assets, up to $5,000. First responders and educators can add a $10,000 grant forgiven after five years of residence and service, and a match up to $15,000.
• Who qualifies: Full-time DC government employees in good standing with one year of service (waived for first responders and public or public charter school teachers) who have not owned a DC principal residence in three years. No income cap.
• How to apply: Through the same counseling organizations, including an eight-hour homebuying class.

DC Open Doors

• Help: An FHA or conventional first mortgage through a participating mortgage company, plus an optional assistance loan (3 percent of the price for conventional, 3.5 percent for FHA) with no payments until sale, refinance, move-out or maturity.
• Who qualifies: First-time and repeat buyers, residents or not, buying a DC primary residence, with a 640 minimum credit score and borrower income up to $275,400. No sales price limit applies unless paired with a Mortgage Credit Certificate.
• Education: Required if all conventional-loan borrowers are first-time buyers; FHA follows FHA rules.

Combining Programs

DHCD lets DC government employees who live in DC combine EAHP with HPAP, and DCHFA's manual lets a DC Open Doors assistance loan sit behind an HPAP loan.

Next Steps

Program details change; confirm current figures with the agency when you apply. Last reviewed September 2026.

Contact us with questions about a DC purchase.