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Ohio program

American Dream Downpayment Initiative (ADDI)

Ohio route through City of Columbus Housing Division. 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 city DPA loan Forgivable if occupancy holds 2026-04-23
Agency City of Columbus Housing Division
Support type Forgivable city DPA loan
Amount highlight Current Columbus ADDI materials describe assistance up to 6% of the purchase price, capped at $14,999, for down payment, reasonable closing costs, and principal reduction.
Last verified 2026-04-23

Open questions

Two AMI lanes and property-type wording need careful reading

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

Current Columbus materials are strong enough for a detail page, but they mix a broader city 120% AMI lane with a HOME-funded 80% AMI lane. The borrower page also leads with single-family and condo language while the guidelines separately mention manufactured housing on a permanent foundation.

Source note: The current ADDI page, 2025 guidelines, and city bulletins align on the larger $14,999 cap and the five-year deferred-forgivable structure, but the public page and the detailed guidelines are not identical on every property-type phrasing. Public copy should lead with the main single-family or condo framing and keep the manufactured-housing allowance as a caution note.

Decision-ready public facts

What stays free on this program page

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

Amount

Current Columbus ADDI materials describe assistance up to 6% of the purchase price, capped at $14,999, for down payment, reasonable closing costs, and principal reduction.

Type

Forgivable city DPA loan

Repayment

The city describes ADDI as a deferred forgivable loan with no monthly payment. If the buyer keeps the home as a principal residence for five years, the city forgives the loan and releases the mortgage documents. Sale, transfer, rental, or loss of owner-occupancy during the five-year period can trigger repayment.

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 homebuyers purchasing a home in the City of Columbus, Borrowers using a city-certified lender and a fixed-rate first mortgage, Households at or below 120% of AMI for the city non-federal lane, with HOME-funded files limited to 80% of AMI, Buyers completing HUD-certified homebuyer education within 18 months before closing, Buyers contributing at least $500 of their own funds and keeping post-closing liquid assets within the published city limits

What support do you get?

Current Columbus ADDI materials describe assistance up to 6% of the purchase price, capped at $14,999, for down payment, reasonable closing costs, and principal reduction.

Do you repay it?

The city describes ADDI as a deferred forgivable loan with no monthly payment. If the buyer keeps the home as a principal residence for five years, the city forgives the loan and releases the mortgage documents. Sale, transfer, rental, or loss of owner-occupancy during the five-year period can trigger repayment.

How do you apply?

Work with a city-certified lender, complete HUD-certified homebuyer education within 18 months before closing, secure an eligible fixed-rate first mortgage, and have the lender submit the full ADDI package through the city process at least four weeks before closing. City materials say review usually takes about four to six weeks and the final closing disclosure is due at least five days before closing.

Application timing

City materials say complete ADDI packages usually take about four to six weeks to review. Lenders must submit the final closing disclosure at least five days before closing, and the city says funds usually arrive within three to five business days after final approval.

Official source evidence

Current Columbus ADDI materials describe a standalone city program offering up to 6% of purchase price, capped at $14,999, as deferred forgivable assistance for first-time buyers using a certified lender and an eligible fixed-rate first mortgage. The same current materials publish the five-year owner-occupancy term, the two-lane 80% and 120% AMI structure, the $500 minimum buyer contribution, HUD-certified education, and a lender-submitted review path.

View official source

Last verified

2026-04-23

2025 ADDI Guidelines linked from the current city page; 2025 income limits effective 2025-06-01

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What paid access adds for American Dream Downpayment Initiative (ADDI)

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Comparison preview

American Dream Downpayment Initiative (ADDI)

Amount: Current Columbus ADDI materials describe assistance up to 6% of the purchase price, capped at $14,999, for down payment, reasonable closing costs, and principal reduction.

Repayment: The city describes ADDI as a deferred forgivable loan with no monthly payment. If the buyer keeps the home as a principal residence for five years, the city forgives the loan and releases the mortgage documents. Sale, transfer, rental, or loss of owner-occupancy during the five-year period can trigger repayment.

First-time buyer: Required

Risk checks preview

What gets flagged before you call a lender

  • American Dream Downpayment Initiative (ADDI) requires a participating lender.
  • American Dream Downpayment Initiative (ADDI) must be paired with a specific first mortgage.

Lender questions preview

Questions tied to this exact path

  • Is your team approved to originate American Dream Downpayment Initiative (ADDI) for this household and loan setup?
  • Which first-mortgage product must be paired with American Dream Downpayment Initiative (ADDI), and what breaks eligibility?

Action checklist preview

What you would do next

  • Confirm the first-time buyer definition before you apply
  • Review the official City of Columbus ADDI page for American Dream Downpayment Initiative (ADDI)
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What paid research already covers in Ohio

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What unlocks after payment

Specific program names, source notes, current-vs-conditional judgments, and the next lender or agency questions tied to this state.

1 tracked

city and county programs

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

2 tracked

specialty and conditional paths

Conditional, paused, or specialty paths worth checking before you assume the state is a dead end.

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