Down Payment Assistance in California: CalHFA and County Programs for 2026

By Matthew Martinez, Founder, CEO & Managing Broker, Diamond Real Estate Group. California DRE #01869679.

One statewide program to ask a CalHFA-approved lender about is CalHFA’s MyHome Assistance Program. It’s a deferred-payment junior loan for up to 3.5% of the price with an FHA first mortgage, or up to 3% with a conventional one, for first-time buyers within CalHFA’s income limits (CalHFA). CalHFA’s larger Dream For All shared-appreciation loan runs in rounds; its 2026 application window closed March 16, 2026. Local programs exist in some of the counties we serve, but funding opens and closes, so confirm a program is taking applications before you build your budget around it.

CalHFA programs at a glance

CalHFA doesn’t lend directly. You apply through a CalHFA-approved lender, and its assistance is paired with a CalHFA first mortgage (CalHFA borrower eligibility).

Program	What it is	Key terms (as published at review)
MyHome Assistance Program	Deferred-payment junior loan for down payment and/or closing costs	FHA: up to the lesser of 3.5% of price or appraised value. Conventional: up to the lesser of 3%. First-time buyers only; primary residence; no non-occupant co-borrowers (CalHFA)
Dream For All Shared Appreciation Loan	Down payment/closing cost help for first-generation buyers, used with the Dream For All Conventional first mortgage	Up to 20% of price, not to exceed $150,000. Repaid with a share of appreciation on sale, transfer or payoff (CalHFA)
CalPLUS FHA / CalPLUS Conventional	First mortgage at a slightly higher fixed rate, paired with ZIP for closing costs	ZIP helps with closing costs; ask your lender about pairing options (CalHFA)
CalPLUS Access FHA / Conventional	First mortgage paired with MyAccess for down payment or closing costs	See the program handbook through your lender (CalHFA)
UC Shared Appreciation Loan	Employer-based help for eligible UC Santa Cruz employees	Same shared-appreciation structure as Dream For All (CalHFA)

First-time buyer, CalHFA’s way. You qualify if you haven’t owned and lived in a home in the past three years, and haven’t lived in a home your spouse owned during that time. Exceptions apply (CalHFA).

Homebuyer education. One occupying first-time borrower per loan must finish an approved course. The only online course CalHFA accepts is eHome’s eight-hour course, about $100. In-person or virtual counseling through NeighborWorks America or a HUD-approved agency also works (CalHFA).

CalHFA income limits for the counties we serve

CalHFA’s limits apply to all of its first mortgages and subordinate loans except Dream For All, which has its own limits. These are the figures effective June 30, 2026 (CalHFA income limits PDF).

County	CalHFA income limit	County	CalHFA income limit
Alameda	$322,000	Placer	$245,000
Contra Costa	$322,000	Sacramento	$245,000
El Dorado	$245,000	San Diego	$259,000
Lake	$192,000	San Francisco	$325,000
Marin	$325,000	San Mateo	$325,000
Mendocino	$196,000	Santa Clara	$325,000
Monterey	$218,000	Santa Cruz	$271,000
Napa	$325,000	Solano	$246,000
Sonoma	$264,000	Yolo	$269,000

CalHFA updates these periodically, most recently by Program Bulletin 2026-07 on June 25, 2026 (CalHFA announcements). Check the current PDF before you apply.

Dream For All in 2026: where it stands

The 2026 pre-registration portal was open from February 24 to 5 p.m. on March 16, 2026. CalHFA picks applicants by random drawing, not first come, first served (Program Bulletin 2026-01). If you’re selected, you have up to 90 days to find a home, sign a purchase contract, and have an approved lender reserve the loan. CalHFA released the next round of voucher notifications on May 20, 2026, and told lenders that earlier preapproval letters may be expiring (Program Bulletin 2026-04).

Eligibility basics (CalHFA Dream For All):

every borrower must be a first-time buyer
at least one borrower must be a first-generation buyer and a current California resident
household income must be within the Dream For All limits for the county

Under the program handbook (revised January 2024), "first-generation" generally means you haven’t held an ownership interest in a U.S. home in the past seven years and your parents don’t own one. Anyone who has been in foster care also qualifies. The handbook also says you can’t combine Dream For All with MyHome. Other non-CalHFA assistance can be layered if the Dream For All loan stays in second position (handbook). Check the Dream For All page for whether a new round has been announced.

County and city programs we verified

The table below identifies agency programs and dated terms. Funding, price limits and eligibility can change; confirm current availability directly with the program before applying.

Area	Program	Status at review	Headline terms
San Francisco	Downpayment Assistance Loan Program (DALP), MOHCD	Runs in lottery rounds; the 2025 round closed June 2, 2025	Up to $500,000 silent second, no monthly payments; repay principal plus a share of appreciation; first-time buyers within the city’s income limits (SF.gov). Separate versions for SFUSD educators and first responders
San Diego County (unincorporated plus Coronado, Del Mar, Imperial Beach, Lemon Grove, Poway, Solana Beach, Carlsbad, Encinitas, La Mesa, San Marcos, Santee, Vista)	Down Payment and Closing Cost Assistance (DCCA), administered by SDHC	Listed as offered; page doesn’t state funding level	Deferred loan up to 22% of price, plus 4% (max $10,000) for closing costs; income at or under 80% AMI; price cap $743,000 (County of San Diego)
City of San Diego	SDHC First-Time Homebuyer Programs	"Funds Available" (page updated Sept. 14, 2026)	Low-income (≤80% AMI): deferred loan up to 17% of price (max $125,000) plus a closing-cost grant up to $10,000. Middle-income (80–150% AMI): $50,000 total (SDHC)
City and County of Sacramento	SHRA PLHA and CalHome First-Time Homebuyer Mortgage Assistance	Listed with 2026 guidelines; apply through an SHRA-approved lender	Terms in SHRA’s 2026 program documents; SHRA’s MCC program is unavailable (SHRA)
Placer County (unincorporated)	First-Time Homebuyer Assistance Program	Closed to new applications June 9, 2025; interest list open	Up to $100,000 down payment loan, 3% interest, 30-year term, up to 150% AMI (Placer County, program page)
City of Napa	First-Time Homebuyer Down Payment Assistance	Listed; materials on the page are dated 2023–2024, so confirm terms	Up to the lesser of $150,000 or 30% of price, 1% deferred for 30 years, within city limits (City of Napa)
Alameda County	AC Boost	Not taking pre-applications; last window closed May 15, 2024	Shared-appreciation loans up to $210,000 for first-time buyers who live, work or were displaced from the county (AC Boost, Alameda County HCD)

What we found elsewhere:

San Mateo County: HEART of San Mateo County stopped offering its homebuyer loan as of January 28, 2026 (HEART).
Marin County: The Marin Housing Authority’s homeownership page lists Below Market Rate ownership units and voucher homeownership, but no down payment loan. Its reissued MCC program ended in 2021 (MHA).
Sonoma County: The Community Development Commission’s only listed homebuyer loan is for county employees through the SEIU Housing Assistance Committee (Sonoma County CDC).

We couldn’t confirm a current program on the official sites for Contra Costa, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Monterey, Solano, Mendocino, Lake, El Dorado or Yolo counties. That doesn’t mean none exists; some cities run their own. Check the city or county housing department, and HUD’s state-by-state list of local programs at hud.gov/states.

How to check whether a program is available right now

Read the agency page, not a third-party list. Look for a stated status ("funds available," "closed," "interest list") and the date the page was updated.
Call or email the program. Ask whether funds are available today, how long approval takes, and whether there’s a waitlist.
Ask your lender whether they’re approved for that program. Most local programs require a participating first-mortgage lender, and CalHFA requires a CalHFA-approved one.
Check the price and income caps against the homes you’re considering. Local price caps can rule out much of a county’s inventory.
Confirm stacking rules. Ask whether the local loan can sit behind a CalHFA loan and in what lien position.
Build the timeline into your offer. Assistance programs add underwriting steps. Give your loan contingency enough time, and know which closing costs the program covers. Seller concessions can fill gaps if the loan program allows them.

Where we can help

We work with buyers across San Francisco, Sacramento County, Placer County, Napa and the rest of Northern California. Our financing page explains how we coordinate with lenders, and our Buy page explains how we work with buyers.

Questions people ask

What is the best down payment assistance program in California?

Ask a CalHFA-approved lender whether the MyHome loan is currently available and whether you qualify. It’s up to 3.5% of the price with an FHA loan or 3% with a conventional loan, paired with a CalHFA first mortgage (CalHFA). Larger local loans can help more where they’re funded.

Is Dream For All open in 2026?

The 2026 application window ran February 24 to March 16, 2026, and selection was by random drawing. CalHFA released a further round of vouchers on May 20, 2026 (CalHFA). Check CalHFA’s page for any new round.

Do I have to be a first-time buyer?

For MyHome and Dream For All, yes. Under CalHFA’s definition, you haven’t owned and lived in a home in the past three years. Most local programs we checked use a similar three-year test.

What are CalHFA’s income limits in Sonoma County?

$264,000 under the limits effective June 30, 2026. Napa and Marin are $325,000, and Sacramento and Placer are $245,000 (CalHFA). Dream For All uses separate limits.

Can I combine MyHome with Dream For All?

No. The Dream For All handbook says MyHome can’t be combined with it, but some non-CalHFA local assistance can be layered behind it (handbook).

Is there down payment assistance in San Francisco?

Yes. The city’s DALP offers up to $500,000 as a silent second loan, repaid with a share of appreciation. It runs in lottery rounds; the 2025 round closed June 2, 2025 (SF.gov).

Do I repay down payment assistance?

Usually, yes. MyHome is a deferred junior loan. Dream For All and SF’s DALP are repaid with a share of appreciation. The local loans we reviewed are mostly deferred loans due on sale, refinance or move-out, though some closing-cost pieces are grants.

Can I get assistance for a duplex or condo?

It depends on the program’s property rules and price caps. Ask the program and your CalHFA-approved lender before you write an offer.

Sources & notes

SDHC’s page lists the low-income loan as both 17% and 19% of the price in different places. We show the table figure, so confirm with SDHC. General information, not legal, tax or lending advice. Updated November 2026. Primary sources are linked in this guide.

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