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Pennsylvania program

Turn The Key (TTK)

Pennsylvania route through Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation (PHDC). 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.

Soft second plus grant stack Forgivable if occupancy holds 2026-04-20
Agency Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation (PHDC)
Support type Soft second plus grant stack
Amount highlight Current PHDC materials say eligible first-time homebuyers can receive up to $75,000 in Turn The Key mortgage-bydown / soft-mortgage assistance and pair it with the $10,000 Philly First Home grant for closing costs. City materials describe that stack as up to $85,000 total before any additional lender help.
Last verified 2026-04-20

Use carefully

Current sources mix 15-year resale and 20-year note language

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

Turn The Key is not limited to city employees. Current PHDC and City materials say income-qualified city or municipal employees receive preference, while otherwise eligible first-time homebuyers may also apply.

Decision-ready public facts

What stays free on this program page

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

Amount

Current PHDC materials say eligible first-time homebuyers can receive up to $75,000 in Turn The Key mortgage-bydown / soft-mortgage assistance and pair it with the $10,000 Philly First Home grant for closing costs. City materials describe that stack as up to $85,000 total before any additional lender help.

Type

Soft second plus grant stack

Repayment

PHDC's current flyer says a 20-year forgivable note is placed on the property, and the FAQ explains the subsidy as a soft mortgage / soft loan / mortgage buydown on which the buyer does not make regular mortgage payments. PHDC also says the home must remain the buyer's primary residence for the deed-restriction term, the mortgage buydown can only be used on a Turn The Key home, refinance does not restart the 20-year clock, and resale remains restricted to other qualified income homebuyers until the applicable affordability controls expire. Current materials still mix 15-year resale language with the newer 20-year-note language, so buyers should confirm deed-restriction and resale mechanics before closing.

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?

Income-qualified first-time homebuyers, City of Philadelphia employees (first preference)

What support do you get?

Current PHDC materials say eligible first-time homebuyers can receive up to $75,000 in Turn The Key mortgage-bydown / soft-mortgage assistance and pair it with the $10,000 Philly First Home grant for closing costs. City materials describe that stack as up to $85,000 total before any additional lender help.

Do you repay it?

PHDC's current flyer says a 20-year forgivable note is placed on the property, and the FAQ explains the subsidy as a soft mortgage / soft loan / mortgage buydown on which the buyer does not make regular mortgage payments. PHDC also says the home must remain the buyer's primary residence for the deed-restriction term, the mortgage buydown can only be used on a Turn The Key home, refinance does not restart the 20-year clock, and resale remains restricted to other qualified income homebuyers until the applicable affordability controls expire. Current materials still mix 15-year resale language with the newer 20-year-note language, so buyers should confirm deed-restriction and resale mechanics before closing.

How do you apply?

Start at the PHDC Turn The Key portal by submitting the interest form and creating an account. Then complete PHDC-approved one-on-one counseling through a city-funded housing counseling agency, finish income certification, gather household income and identity documents, obtain a senior mortgage pre-approval, and use the approved Turn The Key lender list as needed for mortgage qualification. PHDC's intake instructions also require the PHFA educational webinar certificate unless recent city-funded counseling within the last 12 months already covers that step. When a selected neighborhood has homes available and the applicant passes prescreening, PHDC sends the file to developers so the buyer can tour homes and move toward settlement.

Application timing

PHDC's flow chart says applicants are notified by email about 5 to 8 months before completion to confirm their interest when selected homes are moving toward delivery.

Official source evidence

Current PHDC materials say Turn The Key homes are available for purchase in 2026 and that eligible first-time homebuyers can receive up to $75,000 in mortgage-bydown / soft-mortgage assistance plus the $10,000 Philly First Home grant. The current PHDC flyer and FAQ also describe the aid as a 20-year forgivable note / soft mortgage placed on the property rather than a simple cash grant.

View official source

Last verified

2026-04-20

2026

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Comparison preview

Turn The Key (TTK)

Amount: Current PHDC materials say eligible first-time homebuyers can receive up to $75,000 in Turn The Key mortgage-bydown / soft-mortgage assistance and pair it with the $10,000 Philly First Home grant for closing costs. City materials describe that stack as up to $85,000 total before any additional lender help.

Repayment: PHDC's current flyer says a 20-year forgivable note is placed on the property, and the FAQ explains the subsidy as a soft mortgage / soft loan / mortgage buydown on which the buyer does not make regular mortgage payments. PHDC also says the home must remain the buyer's primary residence for the deed-restriction term, the mortgage buydown can only be used on a Turn The Key home, refinance does not restart the 20-year clock, and resale remains restricted to other qualified income homebuyers until the applicable affordability controls expire. Current materials still mix 15-year resale language with the newer 20-year-note language, so buyers should confirm deed-restriction and resale mechanics before closing.

First-time buyer: Required

Risk checks preview

What gets flagged before you call a lender

  • Turn The Key (TTK) requires a participating lender.
  • Turn The Key (TTK) must be paired with a specific first mortgage.

Lender questions preview

Questions tied to this exact path

  • Is your team approved to originate Turn The Key (TTK) for this household and loan setup?
  • Which first-mortgage product must be paired with Turn The Key (TTK), and what breaks eligibility?

Action checklist preview

What you would do next

  • Confirm the first-time buyer definition before you apply
  • Review the official PHDC Turn The Key page for Turn The Key (TTK)
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Paid research preview

What paid research already covers in Pennsylvania

Paid research already tracks city and county programs, employer-assisted paths, specialty and conditional paths for Pennsylvania.

7 tracked deeper records

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What unlocks after payment

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2 tracked

city and county programs

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

1 tracked

employer-assisted paths

Employer-linked housing incentives and workforce programs that matter only if they fit your job or agency.

4 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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