What help exists, and what decides whether I can use it?
Four sources: CalHFA, the County of Orange, three individual cities, and Federal Home Loan Bank grants. The address usually decides which of them is even available to you.
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That is the part to understand before you get attached to a neighbourhood. The County programme covers Brea, Cypress, Dana Point, La Palma, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Woods, Los Alamitos, Placentia, San Juan Capistrano, Seal Beach, Stanton, Villa Park, Yorba Linda and unincorporated areas. A home in Irvine or Newport Beach sits outside it at any income. The three city programmes require the home to be inside Santa Ana, Anaheim or Garden Grove respectively.
Almost all of this help takes the same form: a second loan recorded against the home with no monthly payment, repaid when you sell, refinance or pay the house off. It does not raise what you pay each month, and it does have to be repaid eventually, which is a trade worth understanding rather than a catch.
Which Orange County down payment assistance programs are open as of August 17, 2026?
Every program below was checked on the agency's own website on August 17, 2026. The status column reports what that agency published that day. Two of eleven entries are closed to new requests.
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| Program | Who runs it | What you get | Orange County limits | Status on August 17, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MyHome Assistance Program | California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) | A second loan with no monthly payment, worth up to 3.5% of the price or the appraised value, whichever is lower, behind a CalHFA government (FHA) first mortgage, or up to 3% behind a CalHFA conventional first mortgage | Household income up to $274,000 in Orange County, effective June 30, 2026. CalHFA has set no limit on the price of the home since June 1, 2020. | Listed by CalHFA as a current loan program with no suspension notice |
| CalPLUS FHA and CalPLUS Conventional, each with the Zero Interest Program (ZIP) | CalHFA | A ZIP second loan for closing costs, paired with a CalPLUS first mortgage at a slightly higher fixed rate than the standard CalHFA loan | Same $274,000 Orange County income limit, effective June 30, 2026 | Listed by CalHFA as current loan programs with no suspension notice |
| CalPLUS Access FHA and CalPLUS Access Conventional, each with MyAccess | CalHFA | A MyAccess second loan you can put toward closing costs or the down payment, paired with a CalPLUS Access first mortgage | Same $274,000 Orange County income limit, effective June 30, 2026 | Listed by CalHFA as current loan programs with no suspension notice |
| California Dream For All Shared Appreciation Loan | CalHFA | Up to 20% of the purchase price for down payment or closing costs, capped at $150,000, repaid with a share of the home's appreciation | Separate Orange County income limit of $219,000, effective June 30, 2026 | Closed to new applicants. CalHFA states the voucher portal closed March 16, 2026 and no new applications can be started. CalHFA posted on May 20, 2026 that a further round of vouchers went to existing applicants. |
| Mortgage Assistance Program (MAP) | OC Housing & Community Development, County of Orange | Silent second loan with no monthly payment at 3% simple interest over 30 years, up to $80,000 | Income at or below 80% of area median, which the California Department of Housing and Community Development put at $104,200 for one person rising to $196,500 for eight in June 2026. Price capped at 85% of the Orange County median sales price. | Listed as an active homebuyer program with a named administrator and an application you can download |
| Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) Program | County of Orange, administered by National Homebuyers Fund, Inc. | A federal tax credit you claim each year against part of the mortgage interest you pay | The County publishes no figures of its own and sends every question about limits to the program administrator | The County of Orange states the program "is available and currently funded" |
| My First Home Program | City of Santa Ana | Loan with no monthly payment, up to $120,000 at 0% interest over 30 or 45 years depending on the funding source | 80% of area median: $104,200 for one person to $196,500 for eight. 120% of area median: $116,400 to $219,500. Limits stated as of June 2026. | Open, with the City stating it is "currently only accepting applications for 80% AMI households" |
| My Anaheim Home First-Time Homebuyer Program | City of Anaheim | $50,000 loan at 1% simple interest with no monthly payment for 30 years, and total help able to cover up to 20% of the purchase price | Anaheim says income limits and a maximum purchase price apply, without publishing the figures on that page | Open, with an interest list portal accepting online enrollment and applications reviewed in the order received |
| First-Time Home Buyer Program | City of Garden Grove | Loan at 0% interest with no monthly payment for 30 years, up to $110,000 for low-income households and up to $50,000 for moderate-income households, with at least 3% down | 80% of area median: $104,200 for one person to $196,500 for eight. 120% of area median: $116,400 to $219,500. | Open, with required homebuyer workshops posted on a monthly schedule running through December 8, 2026 |
| Workforce Initiative Subsidy for Homeownership (WISH) | Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco | Grant that matches your own money 4 to 1, up to $32,837, from a $13 million pool for 2026 and paid through member banks and credit unions | Household income at or below 80% of the area median published by HUD | Open. Member institutions may request participation through March 12, 2027. |
| Middle-Income Downpayment Assistance (MDPA) | Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco | Grant up to $40,000 toward the down payment and closing costs, with at least $10,000 of your own money | Household income above 80.00% and up to 140% of the area median published by HUD | First 2026 round closed. The Bank states it reached the $8 million first-round allocation limit and is no longer accepting new member requests. A second round with a $5 million allocation is announced as launching soon, without a published date. |
How does CalHFA assistance work here?
A 30-year fixed first mortgage paired with a second loan you make no payments on, for households earning up to $274,000 in Orange County under the limit effective June 30, 2026.
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The second, called MyHome, lends up to 3.5 percent of the purchase price or appraised value behind a CalHFA government loan, which is roughly $24,500 on a $700,000 purchase, or up to 3 percent behind a conventional one, roughly $21,000 on the same home. You owe nothing on it until you sell, refinance or pay off the house.
Two things people get wrong. There is no cap on the price of the home, so an Orange County price alone does not disqualify you. And CalHFA reaches buyers only through its approved lenders, so the lender you pick determines whether it is available at all. You also need to have not owned and lived in a home in the last three years, and to complete homebuyer education.
Is California Dream For All still open?
No. It was closed to new applicants as of August 17, 2026, and the voucher portal closed on March 16, 2026. If you are already on the waitlist, keep checking.
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It was never first come, first served: you registered for a voucher and CalHFA selected by random drawing, so anyone who registered before the cutoff now shows Not Selected, Waitlist or Voucher Issued. CalHFA posted on May 20, 2026 that it had released a further round to existing applicants, which is why the waitlist is worth watching rather than writing off.
What it offers when open is substantial: up to 20 percent of the purchase price capped at $150,000, repaid on sale or payoff along with a share of what the home gained, with an Orange County income limit of $219,000 effective June 30, 2026. If you were not selected, CalHFA points buyers to MyHome and to CalPLUS with ZIP, which are open.
What does the County of Orange offer?
Two programmes, both confirmed available on August 17, 2026: the Mortgage Assistance Program, lending up to $80,000, and a Mortgage Credit Certificate the County describes as currently funded.
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The Mortgage Assistance Program lends up to $80,000 at 3 percent simple interest over 30 years with no monthly payment. You have to live in the home, put down at least 1 percent yourself, buy at or under 85 percent of the county median sales price, and complete a homebuyer education workshop. The income cap is 80 percent of area median, which the state put at $104,200 for one person through $196,500 for eight in June 2026.
The geography is the constraint that decides it. The programme covers Brea, Cypress, Dana Point, La Palma, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Woods, Los Alamitos, Placentia, San Juan Capistrano, Seal Beach, Stanton, Villa Park, Yorba Linda and unincorporated county areas, and nothing else. Irvine and Newport Beach are outside it regardless of what you earn.
Which Orange County cities run their own down payment assistance programs?
Three Orange County cities published their own down payment assistance programs on August 17, 2026: Santa Ana, Anaheim, and Garden Grove. Each needs the home inside that city, so the address decides the program.
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| City and program | What you get | Conditions the city states |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Ana, My First Home Program | Up to $120,000 at 0% interest with no monthly payment, over 30 or 45 years | Only taking applications from households at 80% of area median income. Credit score of at least 640. 3% of the purchase price in your own money, sat in your account for 90 days and not a gift. The City can turn you down if you have 20% or more of the purchase price available to you. |
| Anaheim, My Anaheim Home | $50,000 at 1% simple interest | You put in 3% yourself. The City works its interest list in the order people sign up. |
| Garden Grove, First-Time Home Buyer Program | Up to $110,000 at 0% interest | Required workshops posted on a monthly schedule running through December 8, 2026. |
Two cities were checked and deliberately left off. Irvine and Huntington Beach both send buyers to outside agencies rather than running a city loan of their own, so there is nothing to apply for at the city level in either.
What about Federal Home Loan Bank grants?
Two programmes for California buyers, paid through member banks and credit unions. As of August 17, 2026 the WISH grant is open with $13 million available; the middle-income round has closed.
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WISH matches your own money four to one, up to $32,837, which is the annual maximum set by the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Because it is a match, what you put in decides what you get. It requires homebuyer counselling, first-time buyer status, income at or below 80 percent of the area median published by HUD, and escrow opened within one year of enrolling.
The Middle-Income Downpayment Assistance programme serves households between 80.01 and 140 percent of area median income, and its first round hit its $8 million limit and stopped taking new member requests. A $5 million second round has been announced without a date, so it is worth asking a member lender rather than assuming it is gone for good.
Can a family member give me the down payment?
Yes, and on a one-unit home you will live in, none of the money has to be your own. What matters is who gives it and whether it can be traced.
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The donor cannot be anyone with an interest in the sale: not the builder, the developer or the real estate agent. On an FHA loan the accepted list is wider and includes a family member, an employer or labour union, a close friend with a documented interest, a charity, or a government body running a homeownership assistance programme, and that last category is what lets a city or county loan sit alongside an FHA first mortgage.
The paper trail is where files stall. Expect to provide a signed gift letter plus evidence that the money sat in the donor's account and moved to you. Cash handed over without a record will hold up your loan, and where an assistance programme has stricter rules than the lender, the programme's rule is the one your file follows.
How do I check a programme before I rely on it?
On the agency's own website and with a lender approved for that programme, before you write an offer. Every figure here was confirmed on August 17, 2026 and it will drift.
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Two events from this year show the pace: CalHFA's Dream For All portal closed to new applications on March 16, 2026, and the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco moved through an $8 million allocation partway into the year. Income limits run on their own clock, with CalHFA's effective June 30, 2026 and the state figures used by the County, Santa Ana and Garden Grove dated June 2026.
One piece of housekeeping that saves duplicated effort: counselling from a HUD-approved agency satisfies the education requirement for CalHFA and for the County of Orange, Santa Ana, Anaheim and Garden Grove programmes, so one course covers several applications. HUD funds a network of approved agencies and publishes a search, or you can call 800-569-4287. We can coordinate with whichever lender and programme administrator you choose.
FAQs
Common questions about Down Payment Assistance
Does Orange County have a down payment assistance program?
Yes. The County of Orange runs the Mortgage Assistance Program through OC Housing & Community Development. It lends up to $80,000 at 3% simple interest over 30 years, with no monthly payment, and it was published as available on August 17, 2026. It covers 14 named cities plus unincorporated areas, and your household income has to be at or below 80% of area median income.
What is the CalHFA income limit for Orange County in 2026?
CalHFA's 2026 income limit for Orange County is $274,000, and it covers every CalHFA first mortgage and every CalHFA second, effective June 30, 2026. The California Dream For All Shared Appreciation Loan uses a separate and lower Orange County limit of $219,000, also effective June 30, 2026. Both figures were read from CalHFA's published limit sheets on August 17, 2026.
Is California Dream For All still available in 2026?
The California Dream For All Shared Appreciation Loan is closed to new applicants as of August 17, 2026. CalHFA states its voucher portal closed on March 16, 2026 and that no new applications can be started. Applicants who registered before that date can still check their portal status, and CalHFA released a further round of vouchers to existing applicants on May 20, 2026.
How much does CalHFA MyHome give you?
CalHFA's MyHome Assistance Program lends you up to 3.5% of the purchase price or the appraised value, whichever is lower, when it sits behind a CalHFA government loan, and up to 3% when it sits behind a CalHFA conventional loan. You owe nothing on it until you sell, refinance, or pay off the home, so it does not raise your monthly payment.
Is there a maximum purchase price for CalHFA loans in Orange County?
No. CalHFA stopped applying sales price limits to eligible properties on June 1, 2020, so the price of the home alone will not disqualify you. CalHFA income limits still apply, and so do the county loan limits attached to each first mortgage program. This was confirmed on CalHFA's income and sales price limits page on August 17, 2026.
Which Orange County cities offer first-time homebuyer loans?
Santa Ana, Anaheim, and Garden Grove each published an active city-run program on August 17, 2026. Santa Ana offers up to $120,000 at 0% interest, Anaheim offers $50,000 at 1% simple interest with no monthly payment for 30 years, and Garden Grove offers up to $110,000 for low-income households at 0% interest. Each requires the home to be inside that city.
Can I combine down payment assistance programs?
Program rules decide this, and several of them are written to allow it. CalHFA lets qualified homebuyers layer other down payment assistance loans or grants, and requires MyHome to sit in second position when you do. The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco says its WISH and Middle-Income Downpayment Assistance grants can sit alongside local, state, and federal programs. Confirm your exact combination with your lender.
Do I have to take a homebuyer education class?
Every program described on this page requires it. CalHFA accepts only eHome's eight-hour online course, priced at $100, or live in-person or virtual counseling through NeighborWorks America or a HUD-approved housing counseling agency. Santa Ana and Garden Grove also require an eight-hour HUD-approved course, and Anaheim requires an approved homebuyer seminar.
Can I use gift money from my parents for a down payment?
Yes, if your loan program allows it. Fannie Mae's rules for lenders, revised February 4, 2026, permit a gift from an acceptable donor toward the down payment, closing costs, or reserves on a one-unit home you will live in, with none of your own money required. On an FHA loan, HUD permits gifts from family members and several other sources, but not cash you keep at home.
What is a Mortgage Credit Certificate and can I get one in Orange County?
A Mortgage Credit Certificate is a federal tax credit you claim each year against part of the mortgage interest you pay, rather than cash at closing. The County of Orange states on its own page that the Orange County MCC Program is available and currently funded, and that National Homebuyers Fund, Inc. runs it and answers questions about qualifying and about lenders.