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Massachusetts program

Boston Co-Purchasing Housing Pilot Program

Massachusetts route through City of Boston Mayor's Office of Housing, Boston Home Center, and Housing Innovation Lab. This page stays free for the core public facts. Open paid access only when you need the full state board, related paths, and the decision layer around this program.

Deferred second mortgage Deferred due on exit 2026-04-21
Agency City of Boston Mayor's Office of Housing, Boston Home Center, and Housing Innovation Lab
Support type Deferred second mortgage
Amount highlight Eligible households earning up to 100% of AMI may receive up to $50,000, and eligible households earning between 101% and 135% of AMI may receive up to $35,000. Current official guidelines also describe the zero-percent deferred loan as covering up to 50% of lender-required down payment, reasonable closing costs, and first-mortgage principal subsidy assistance within those caps.
Last verified 2026-04-21

Open questions

Current Boston materials use different application and rule wording

This page stays public because the official structure is still useful, but these details should not be flattened into fake certainty.

The pilot is live, but the homepage, guidelines, and application portal do not describe every step in exactly the same way.

Source note: The homepage still pushes a survey-first path while the live portal already hosts the formal application, the homepage says HB 101 and 201 up front while the guidelines let HO201 happen within 90 days after purchase, and the homepage lists FHA as eligible while the guidelines say FHA is only allowed in limited cases with Assistant Director approval.

Decision-ready public facts

What stays free on this program page

Quick answer from published facts. Use this first, then jump to Go to Massachusetts program hub if you need the wider state context.

Amount

Eligible households earning up to 100% of AMI may receive up to $50,000, and eligible households earning between 101% and 135% of AMI may receive up to $35,000. Current official guidelines also describe the zero-percent deferred loan as covering up to 50% of lender-required down payment, reasonable closing costs, and first-mortgage principal subsidy assistance within those caps.

Type

Deferred second mortgage

0% deferred second mortgage

Repayment

Current official materials describe a zero-percent deferred City loan that is repaid upon sale, transfer, refinance, or when the property is no longer the buyer's actual principal residence. The assistance is secured by a City mortgage lien and is not presented as forgivable assistance.

First-time buyer

Required

Program guide

What to know before you click through

This is still the free fact layer. Open the official source when a detail affects eligibility, repayment, lender choice, or whether this path should stay on your shortlist.

Who qualifies?

First-time homebuyer households co-purchasing a Boston two- or three-family home, Each participating household must be at or below 135% of AMI

What support do you get?

Eligible households earning up to 100% of AMI may receive up to $50,000, and eligible households earning between 101% and 135% of AMI may receive up to $35,000. Current official guidelines also describe the zero-percent deferred loan as covering up to 50% of lender-required down payment, reasonable closing costs, and first-mortgage principal subsidy assistance within those caps.

Do you repay it?

Current official materials describe a zero-percent deferred City loan that is repaid upon sale, transfer, refinance, or when the property is no longer the buyer's actual principal residence. The assistance is secured by a City mortgage lien and is not presented as forgivable assistance.

How do you apply?

Use the public survey and guide as the front door, then complete the formal Boston Home Center Applicant Portal application. Each co-purchaser must submit a separate application, the application cannot be saved and resumed later, and buyers still need a City-approved lender plus the required homebuyer education steps.

Application timing

After eligibility review and a loan commitment, Boston Home Center may issue a fund reservation for 45 days. If the first mortgage loan does not close on the scheduled date, the lender may request a 30-day extension, subject to funding availability. The lender must request Authorization to Close at least 3 days before closing and no later than 48 hours before closing.

Official source evidence

The current Boston.gov page still treats the pilot as live, the current guidelines describe a zero-percent deferred City loan with repayment on transfer, sale, refinance, or loss of principal-residence status, and the current Boston Home Center portal shows that each co-purchaser now completes a separate formal application after the survey stage.

View official source

Last verified

2026-04-21

Program page last updated 2026-03-25; application portal and guidelines rechecked 2026-04-21

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Comparison preview

Boston Co-Purchasing Housing Pilot Program

Amount: Eligible households earning up to 100% of AMI may receive up to $50,000, and eligible households earning between 101% and 135% of AMI may receive up to $35,000. Current official guidelines also describe the zero-percent deferred loan as covering up to 50% of lender-required down payment, reasonable closing costs, and first-mortgage principal subsidy assistance within those caps.

Repayment: Current official materials describe a zero-percent deferred City loan that is repaid upon sale, transfer, refinance, or when the property is no longer the buyer's actual principal residence. The assistance is secured by a City mortgage lien and is not presented as forgivable assistance.

First-time buyer: Required

Timing: After eligibility review and a loan commitment, Boston Home Center may issue a fund reservation for 45 days. If the first mortgage loan does not close on the scheduled date, the lender may request a 30-day extension, subject to funding availability. The lender must request Authorization to Close at least 3 days before closing and no later than 48 hours before closing.

Risk checks preview

What gets flagged before you call a lender

  • Boston Co-Purchasing Housing Pilot Program requires a participating lender.
  • Boston Co-Purchasing Housing Pilot Program must be paired with a specific first mortgage.

Lender questions preview

Questions tied to this exact path

  • Is your team approved to originate Boston Co-Purchasing Housing Pilot Program for this household and loan setup?
  • Which first-mortgage product must be paired with Boston Co-Purchasing Housing Pilot Program, and what breaks eligibility?

Action checklist preview

What you would do next

  • Confirm the first-time buyer definition before you apply
  • Review the official Program page for Boston Co-Purchasing Housing Pilot Program
Open the full Massachusetts board

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city and county programs

City and county down payment or closing-cost programs that never make it into the free statewide layer.

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employer-assisted paths

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specialty and conditional paths

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