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Michigan program

City of Detroit Down Payment Assistance Program

Michigan route through City of Detroit Housing and Revitalization Department. 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.

Forgivable second mortgage Check official rules 2026-04-21
Agency City of Detroit Housing and Revitalization Department
Support type Forgivable second mortgage
Amount highlight Current Detroit materials describe assistance of up to $25,000 for down payment, prepaids, closing costs, rate buydown, and principal reduction. The 2026 Round 3 materials also say the total assistance cannot exceed 50% of the purchase price.
Last verified 2026-04-21

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Round 3 policy materials are clearer than older planning summaries

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

Detroit's current 2026 policy manual now makes the three-year affordability structure clear, but older city planning documents still preserve earlier funding totals and a 35% housing-ratio threshold.

Source note: The main city page says the program has over $9 million available, while the 2026-03-11 Round 3 launch news totals roughly $10.47 million. Older planning documents also used a 35% housing-ratio threshold, while the current 2026 policy manual uses 30%.

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Amount

Current Detroit materials describe assistance of up to $25,000 for down payment, prepaids, closing costs, rate buydown, and principal reduction. The 2026 Round 3 materials also say the total assistance cannot exceed 50% of the purchase price.

Type

Forgivable second mortgage

3-year affordability-backed assistance

Repayment

The current 2026 policy manual says the assistance is documented through city closing documents including a Second Direct Mortgage Deed and uses a three-year affordability period. If the buyer sells, transfers, or stops meeting the owner-occupancy rules during that 36-month period, the recapture schedule is 100% in year one, 67% in year two, and 33% in year three, subject to the city's net-proceeds rules.

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?

Detroit residents who have lived in the city for the past 12 months, Homebuyers who have not owned a home during the past three years, Households at or below 80% AMI, Certain former Detroit tax-foreclosure owner-occupants from 2010 to 2016, Buyers who complete HUD-approved homebuyer education

What support do you get?

Current Detroit materials describe assistance of up to $25,000 for down payment, prepaids, closing costs, rate buydown, and principal reduction. The 2026 Round 3 materials also say the total assistance cannot exceed 50% of the purchase price.

Do you repay it?

The current 2026 policy manual says the assistance is documented through city closing documents including a Second Direct Mortgage Deed and uses a three-year affordability period. If the buyer sells, transfers, or stops meeting the owner-occupancy rules during that 36-month period, the recapture schedule is 100% in year one, 67% in year two, and 33% in year three, subject to the city's net-proceeds rules.

How do you apply?

Get pre-qualified with a lender, sign a purchase agreement for an eligible Detroit one- or two-unit home, complete HUD- or MSHDA-approved homebuyer education, contribute at least $1,000 of your own funds, and submit through the Detroit Neighborly portal for city review before closing.

Application timing

Program funds are first-come, first-served until exhausted, except for stated priority categories including eligible flood-impacted residents and certain prior Detroit tax-foreclosure homeowners.

Official source evidence

Detroit's current program page says eligible buyers may receive up to $25,000 and must complete lender pre-qualification, homebuyer education, and a Neighborly application. The current 2026 policy manual adds that the assistance uses a three-year affordability period with a 100% / 67% / 33% recapture schedule if the home is sold, transferred, or no longer owner-occupied before full completion.

View official source

Last verified

2026-04-21

Round 3 launched 2026-03-11; policy manual reviewed 2026-03-04

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Comparison preview

City of Detroit Down Payment Assistance Program

Amount: Current Detroit materials describe assistance of up to $25,000 for down payment, prepaids, closing costs, rate buydown, and principal reduction. The 2026 Round 3 materials also say the total assistance cannot exceed 50% of the purchase price.

Repayment: The current 2026 policy manual says the assistance is documented through city closing documents including a Second Direct Mortgage Deed and uses a three-year affordability period. If the buyer sells, transfers, or stops meeting the owner-occupancy rules during that 36-month period, the recapture schedule is 100% in year one, 67% in year two, and 33% in year three, subject to the city's net-proceeds rules.

First-time buyer: Required

Timing: Program funds are first-come, first-served until exhausted, except for stated priority categories including eligible flood-impacted residents and certain prior Detroit tax-foreclosure homeowners.

Risk checks preview

What gets flagged before you call a lender

  • City of Detroit Down Payment Assistance Program must be paired with a specific first mortgage.

Lender questions preview

Questions tied to this exact path

  • Which first-mortgage product must be paired with City of Detroit Down Payment Assistance Program, and what breaks eligibility?
  • Which events trigger repayment for City of Detroit Down Payment Assistance Program: transfer?

Action checklist preview

What you would do next

  • Confirm the first-time buyer definition before you apply
  • Review the official Program page for City of Detroit Down Payment Assistance Program
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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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