DownPaymentMap

Forsyth County NC Down Payment Help: ASPIRE Voucher Buying

HCV Homeownership ProgramAdministered by ASPIREAssistanceNorth Carolina

Reviewed by Tyler Thompson, holds real estate licenses in North Carolina and South Carolina

Published · Facts verified against the official source

What Is the ASPIRE HCV Homeownership Program?

The ASPIRE HCV Homeownership Program is a North Carolina homebuyer program that offers down payment assistance in a different form: monthly Housing Choice Voucher payments toward the cost of owning a home, rather than a lump-sum grant. It is run by ASPIRE for voucher holders in Forsyth County, and it can be used for a single-family home, a condo, a cooperative or a manufactured home.

ASPIRE's plan says Congress has not allocated funding for the single down payment grant form, so monthly payments are what the program offers.

HCV Homeownership Program at a glance

Maximum help
The monthly homeownership assistance payment is the lower of: the voucher payment standard minus the total tenant payment, or the monthly homeownership expenses minus the total tenant payment.
Kind of help
A assistance.
Income limit
Household income up to 80% of the area median income for your county and household size.
First-time buyers only?
Yes, with exceptions.
Loan types
As a check against predatory lending, the PHA will review the financing of each purchase transaction, including estimated closing costs. The PHA will review the loans for features, such as balloon payments, adjustable rate mortgages, and unusually high interest rates, all of which are prohibited. The PHA also will not approve “seller financing” or “owner-held” mortgages. Beyond these basic criteria, the PHA will rely on the lenders to determine that the loan will be affordable to program participants.
Where
Forsyth County.
Homebuyer education
Required.
Current funding status
Funding status could not be confirmed.
Who runs it
ASPIRE

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How Much Does the ASPIRE Voucher Homeownership Payment Give?

The monthly payment is the lower of two amounts: the voucher payment standard minus your total tenant payment, or your monthly homeownership expenses minus your total tenant payment. No maximum dollar amount is stated, and the program has no interest rate or forgiveness schedule.

Who Qualifies for the ASPIRE HCV Homeownership Program?

These are the program's rules as ASPIRE's administrative plan states them:

  • Voucher: You must already be admitted to the Housing Choice Voucher program.
  • Income: At or below 80% of the area median income, adjusted for family size, and above a federal minimum: the federal minimum wage multiplied by 2000 for the adults who will own the home. Disabled families use the monthly SSI payment for a person living alone, multiplied by 12.
  • First-time buyers: You must be a first-time homeowner, or a cooperative member.
  • Employment: For families that are not elderly or disabled, an adult owner must generally work full time, at least 30 hours a week, and have been continuously employed in the year before assistance. A break of no more than four months counts as continuous, and self-employment counts.
  • Other ASPIRE rules: No family-caused housing quality violations in the prior year, not being in the first year of the HAP contract, owing no money to ASPIRE, and no serious or repeated lease violations in the prior year.
  • Homebuyer education: Complete the required homeownership and housing counseling before assistance begins.
  • Occupancy: The home must be your residence, one unit.
  • Credit score and price cap: The record states neither.

ASPIRE decides who qualifies.

Is the ASPIRE Homeownership Option a Grant or a Loan?

Neither. It is monthly voucher help paid on your behalf, so there is no down payment loan to repay. You still need your own first mortgage.

What Mortgages Work With the ASPIRE Voucher Homeownership Option?

No list of approved loan types is stated. ASPIRE reviews the financing of each purchase, including estimated closing costs, and prohibits balloon payments, adjustable-rate mortgages and unusually high interest rates. It will not approve seller financing or owner-held mortgages. Beyond that, it relies on lenders to judge whether the loan is affordable.

Where Can You Use ASPIRE's HCV Homeownership Program?

In the jurisdiction of Forsyth County, including all municipalities in it. A voucher holder may be able to move the voucher to another area under federal portability rules, but only if the receiving housing authority runs a voucher homeownership program and is accepting new homeownership families.

Alamance CountyAlexander CountyAlleghany CountyAnson CountyAshe CountyAvery CountyBeaufort CountyBertie CountyBladen CountyBrunswick CountyBuncombe CountyBurke CountyCabarrus CountyCaldwell CountyCamden CountyCarteret CountyCaswell CountyCatawba CountyChatham CountyCherokee CountyChowan CountyClay CountyCleveland CountyColumbus CountyCraven CountyCumberland CountyCurrituck CountyDare CountyDavidson CountyDavie CountyDuplin CountyDurham CountyEdgecombe CountyForsyth CountyFranklin CountyGaston CountyGates CountyGraham CountyGranville CountyGreene CountyGuilford CountyHalifax CountyHarnett CountyHaywood CountyHenderson CountyHertford CountyHoke CountyHyde CountyIredell CountyJackson CountyJohnston CountyJones CountyLee CountyLenoir CountyLincoln CountyMcDowell CountyMacon CountyMadison CountyMartin CountyMecklenburg CountyMitchell CountyMontgomery CountyMoore CountyNash CountyNew Hanover CountyNorthampton CountyOnslow CountyOrange CountyPamlico CountyPasquotank CountyPender CountyPerquimans CountyPerson CountyPitt CountyPolk CountyRandolph CountyRichmond CountyRobeson CountyRockingham CountyRowan CountyRutherford CountySampson CountyScotland CountyStanly CountyStokes CountySurry CountySwain CountyTransylvania CountyTyrrell CountyUnion CountyVance CountyWake CountyWarren CountyWashington CountyWatauga CountyWayne CountyWilkes CountyWilson CountyYadkin CountyYancey County
Covers Forsyth County. Where the program applies, from its approved record.

How to Apply for the ASPIRE HCV Homeownership Program

A voucher holder submits an application for the homeownership option to ASPIRE. Families are chosen by the date and time they apply, within preference and non-preference groups. You then complete the required counseling, have 120 days to find a home and submit a sales contract, and another 120 days to close, with case-by-case extensions and a 365-day maximum.

ASPIRE reports 32 homeownership vouchers, but official sources do not state whether funds are open for new participants. Funding status was last checked on September 24, 2026 as unknown. Call ASPIRE at 336-727-8500 before you plan around it. To compare other options, see North Carolina down payment assistance programs or the eligibility check.

Questions about HCV Homeownership Program

Who can use the ASPIRE HCV Homeownership Program?

Forsyth County families already admitted to the Housing Choice Voucher program who meet the income, first-time homeowner, employment and counseling rules.

What is the income limit for the ASPIRE HCV Homeownership Program?

Income must not exceed 80% of the area median income for your family size, and must also meet a federal minimum: the federal minimum wage multiplied by 2000.

How much does the ASPIRE homeownership program give?

A monthly payment, the lower of the payment standard minus your total tenant payment or your monthly homeownership expenses minus your total tenant payment. No maximum dollar amount is stated.

Can repeat buyers use the ASPIRE HCV Homeownership Program?

Generally no. You must be a first-time homeowner or a cooperative member.

Does ASPIRE offer a lump-sum down payment grant?

No. ASPIRE's plan says Congress has not allocated funding for that form, so it offers monthly homeownership assistance payments.

Is ASPIRE accepting new homeownership participants right now?

It is not stated. Official sources do not say whether funds are available for new participants. Funding status was last checked on September 24, 2026.

Does the ASPIRE homeownership program require homebuyer education?

Yes. You must complete the required pre-assistance homeownership and housing counseling before assistance begins.

Complete HCV Homeownership Program program record

The nineteen things a buyer needs to know, in the same order on every program page, each checked against the program’s official sources. Where the program does not state one, this says so.

  • 19 program details reviewed; 14 stated by the program
  • 7 official sources checked from ASPIRE, Winston-Salem/Forsyth Housing Consortium
  • Last verified September 24, 2026
  • Current funding status could not be confirmed
View all 19 verified program details ↓

  1. 1 of 19

    Program name

    HCV Homeownership Program

    From the official source

  2. 2 of 19

    Who runs it

    ASPIRE

    336-727-8500

    From the official source
    • “Since 1948, the Housing Authority of Winston-Salem (HAWS) has been working on the issues surrounding affordable housing in this great city. In 2025, HAWS became ASPIRE, which stands for:”

      https://aspirews.org/about/ · Web page heading “About ASPIRE,” first paragraph

    • “About ASPIRE”

      https://aspirews.org/about/ · Web page heading “About ASPIRE,” page identity and contact block

    • “336-727-8500”

      https://aspirews.org/about/ · Web page “About ASPIRE,” contact block

  3. 3 of 19

    Kind of help

    A assistance.

    Monthly Housing Choice Voucher homeownership assistance payments; ASPIRE does not offer the single down payment assistance grant form because the governing plan states Congress has not allocated funding for it.

    From the official source
    • “The PHA will offer the monthly homeownership assistance payments to qualified families.”

      https://aspirews.org/january-2026-admin-plan/ · PDF page 15-17, §15-VII.A “Overview,” PHA Policy

    • “There are two forms of homeownership assistance described in the regulations: monthly homeownership assistance payments and single down payment assistance grants. However, PHAs may not offer down payment assistance until and unless funding is allocated by Congress. Since this has not yet happened, only monthly homeownership assistance may be offered.”

      https://aspirews.org/january-2026-admin-plan/ · PDF page 15-17, §15-VII.A “Overview,” PHA Policy

  4. 4 of 19

    Maximum amount

    The monthly homeownership assistance payment is the lower of: the voucher payment standard minus the total tenant payment, or the monthly homeownership expenses minus the total tenant payment.

    From the official source
    • “The monthly homeownership assistance payment is the lower of: the voucher payment standard minus the total tenant payment, or the monthly homeownership expenses minus the total tenant payment.”

      https://aspirews.org/january-2026-admin-plan/ · PDF page 15-26, §15-VII.K “Homeownership Assistance Payments and Homeownership Expenses”

  5. 5 of 19

    Amount tiers

    The program does not state this. Ask the administrator before relying on it.

  6. 6 of 19

    Forgiveness, interest and term

    The program does not state this. Ask the administrator before relying on it.

  7. 7 of 19

    Income limit

    Household income up to 80% of the area median income for your county and household size.

    A low-income family that meets the income eligibility that does not exceed 80 percent of the median income for the area, adjusted for family size. The family must meet the Federal minimum income requirement. The family must have a gross annual income equal to the Federal minimum wage multiplied by 2000, based on the income of adult family members who will own the home. The PHA will not establish a higher minimum income standard for disabled and/or non-disabled families. For disabled families, the minimum income requirement is equal to the current SSI monthly payment for an individual living alone, multiplied by 12.

    From the official source
    • “A low-income family that meets the income eligibility that does not exceed 80 percent of the median income for the area, adjusted for family size.”

      https://aspirews.org/january-2026-admin-plan/ · PDF page 3-11, §3-II.A “Income Eligibility and Targeting,” PHA Policy

    • “The family must meet the Federal minimum income requirement. The family must have a gross annual income equal to the Federal minimum wage multiplied by 2000, based on the income of adult family members who will own the home.”

      https://aspirews.org/january-2026-admin-plan/ · PDF pages 15-17 to 15-18, §15-VII.B “Family Eligibility”

    • “The PHA will not establish a higher minimum income standard for disabled and/or non-disabled families.”

      https://aspirews.org/january-2026-admin-plan/ · PDF page 15-18, §15-VII.B “Family Eligibility,” PHA Policy

    • “For disabled families, the minimum income requirement is equal to the current SSI monthly payment for an individual living alone, multiplied by 12.”

      https://aspirews.org/january-2026-admin-plan/ · PDF page 15-18, §15-VII.B “Family Eligibility”

  8. 8 of 19

    First-time buyer rule

    Yes, with exceptions.

    The family must qualify as a first-time homeowner, or may be a cooperative member.

    From the official source

  9. 9 of 19

    Maximum home price

    The program does not state this. Ask the administrator before relying on it.

  10. 10 of 19

    Other must-know rules

    You must live in the home as your primary residence. Eligible property types: single family, condo, cooperative, manufactured.

    The family must have been admitted to the Housing Choice Voucher program and meet the federal homeownership minimum-income and employment rules; for non-elderly/non-disabled families, an adult owner must generally be employed full time (at least 30 hours per week) and have been continuously employed during the year before assistance, with ASPIRE treating a break of no more than four months as continuous and counting self-employment. Additional ASPIRE rules include no family-caused HUD Housing Quality Standards violations in the prior year, not being within the initial one-year HAP-contract period, owing no money to the PHA, and no serious or repeated PHA-assisted lease violations in the prior year. The current administrative plan gives a preference to families who have participated in an economic self-sufficiency program for at least six months or graduated from one, while the 2025 CAPER says the HCV Homeownership Program permits families who have a tenant-based voucher and participate in the Family Self-Sufficiency Program; this discrepancy requires review.

    From the official source
    • “The family must have been admitted to the Housing Choice Voucher program.”

      https://aspirews.org/january-2026-admin-plan/ · PDF pages 15-17 to 15-18, §15-VII.B “Family Eligibility”

    • “The family must satisfy the employment requirements by demonstrating that one or more adult members of the family who will own the home at commencement of homeownership assistance is currently employed on a full-time basis (the term 'full-time employment' means not less than an average of 30 hours per week); and has been continuously so employed during the year before commencement of homeownership assistance for the family.”

      https://aspirews.org/january-2026-admin-plan/ · PDF page 15-18, §15-VII.B “Family Eligibility”

    • “Families will be considered “continuously employed” if the break in employment does not exceed four months. The PHA will count self-employment in a business when determining whether the family meets the employment requirement.”

      https://aspirews.org/january-2026-admin-plan/ · PDF page 15-18, §15-VII.B “Family Eligibility,” PHA Policy

    • “The family has had no family-caused violations of HUD’s Housing Quality standards within the past year. The family is not within the initial one-year period of a HAP Contract. The family owes no money to the PHA. The family has not committed any serious or repeated violations of a PHA-assisted lease within the past year.”

      https://aspirews.org/january-2026-admin-plan/ · PDF page 15-19, §15-VII.B to §15-VII.C

    • “Families who have been participating in an economic self-sufficiency program for at least six months, or have graduated from such a program, will be given preference over other families.”

      https://aspirews.org/january-2026-admin-plan/ · PDF page 15-19, §15-VII.C “Selection of Families,” PHA Policy

    • “The HCV Program permits families who have a tenant-based voucher and participate in the Family Self-Sufficiency Program the option of purchasing a home with their assistance rather than renting.”

      https://www.co.forsyth.nc.us/housing/assets/documents/caper_25.pdf · PDF page 19, “Homeownership Opportunities” paragraph

    • “Homeownership assistance may only be paid while the family is residing in the home. If the family moves out of the home, the PHA may not continue homeownership assistance after the month when the family moves out.”

      https://aspirews.org/january-2026-admin-plan/ · PDF page 15-24, §15-VII.I “Continued Assistance Requirements; Family Obligations”

    • “The unit must be a one-unit property or a single dwelling unit in a cooperative or condominium.”

      https://aspirews.org/january-2026-admin-plan/ · PDF page 15-20, §15-VII.D “Eligible Units”

    • “For a unit where the family will not own fee title to the real property (such as a manufactured home), the home must have a permanent foundation and the family must have the right to occupy the site for at least 40 years.”

      https://aspirews.org/january-2026-admin-plan/ · PDF page 15-20, §15-VII.D “Eligible Units”

  11. 11 of 19

    Where it applies

    Forsyth County.

    the jurisdiction of the County of Forsyth, inclusive of all municipalities contained therein

    Exceptions: Subject to the restrictions on portability included in HUD regulations and PHA policies, a family may exercise portability if the receiving PHA is administering a voucher homeownership program and accepting new homeownership families.

    From the official source
    • “The Section 8 tenant-based Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) assistance program is funded by the federal government and administered by the Housing Authority of the City of Winston-Salem for the jurisdiction of the County of Forsyth, inclusive of all municipalities contained therein.”

      https://aspirews.org/january-2026-admin-plan/ · PDF page 1-2, §1-I.B “Organization and Structure of the PHA”

    • “the jurisdiction of the County of Forsyth, inclusive of all municipalities contained therein”

      https://aspirews.org/january-2026-admin-plan/ · PDF page 1-2, §1-I.B “Organization and Structure of the PHA”

    • “Subject to the restrictions on portability included in HUD regulations and PHA policies, a family may exercise portability if the receiving PHA is administering a voucher homeownership program and accepting new homeownership families.”

      https://aspirews.org/january-2026-admin-plan/ · PDF page 15-28, §15-VII.L “Portability”

  12. 12 of 19

    Current funding status

    Funding status could not be confirmed.

    ASPIRE currently administers 32 HCV homeownership vouchers. The current administrative plan says the PHA will administer new homeownership units as desired by participants who are eligible, but the official sources reviewed do not expressly state that funds are currently available for new homeownership assistance.

    Checked 2026-09-24.

    From the official source

  13. 13 of 19

    How to apply

    An HCV participant submits an application for participation in the homeownership option to ASPIRE; within preference and non-preference categories, families are selected according to the date and time the application is submitted. Before assistance begins, the family must satisfactorily complete required pre-assistance homeownership and housing counseling. ASPIRE allows 120 days to identify a unit and submit a sales contract, then an additional 120 days to close, subject to case-by-case extensions and a 365-day maximum purchase period.

    From the official source
    • “Within preference and non-preference categories, families will be selected according to the date and time their application for participation in the homeownership option is submitted to the PHA.”

      https://aspirews.org/january-2026-admin-plan/ · PDF page 15-19, §15-VII.C “Selection of Families,” PHA Policy

    • “The family will be allowed 120 days to identify a unit and submit a sales contract to the PHA for review. The family will be allowed an additional 120 days to close on the home.”

      https://aspirews.org/january-2026-admin-plan/ · PDF page 15-21, §15-VII.E “Additional PHA Requirements for Search and Purchase”

    • “The maximum amount of time a family will be given to locate and complete the purchase of a home under the homeownership option is 365 days.”

      https://aspirews.org/january-2026-admin-plan/ · PDF page 15-21, §15-VII.E “Additional PHA Requirements for Search and Purchase”

    • “Before commencement of homeownership assistance for a family, the family must attend and satisfactorily complete the pre-assistance homeownership and housing counseling program required by the PHA.”

      https://aspirews.org/january-2026-admin-plan/ · PDF page 15-21, §15-VII.F “Homeownership Counseling”

  14. 14 of 19

    Official source

    https://aspirews.org/january-2026-admin-plan/

  15. 15 of 19

    Dates

    ASPIRE’s HCV Downloads page labels the governing file “Complete 2026 Administrative Plan”; the homeownership chapter pages are footer-stamped “Adminplan 3/2025.” The Winston-Salem/Forsyth Housing Consortium CAPER is dated September 28, 2025. No single explicit program effective date was found.

    From the official source

  16. 16 of 19

    Report a mistake

    Use the form on this page.

  17. 17 of 19

    Credit requirements

    The program does not state this. Ask the administrator before relying on it.

  18. 18 of 19

    Eligible loan types

    As a check against predatory lending, the PHA will review the financing of each purchase transaction, including estimated closing costs. The PHA will review the loans for features, such as balloon payments, adjustable rate mortgages, and unusually high interest rates, all of which are prohibited. The PHA also will not approve “seller financing” or “owner-held” mortgages. Beyond these basic criteria, the PHA will rely on the lenders to determine that the loan will be affordable to program participants.

    From the official source
    • “As a check against predatory lending, the PHA will review the financing of each purchase transaction, including estimated closing costs. The PHA will review the loans for features, such as balloon payments, adjustable rate mortgages, and unusually high interest rates, all of which are prohibited. The PHA also will not approve “seller financing” or “owner-held” mortgages. Beyond these basic criteria, the PHA will rely on the lenders to determine that the loan will be affordable to program participants.”

      https://aspirews.org/january-2026-admin-plan/ · PDF page 15-24, §15-VII.H “Financing,” PHA Policy

  19. 19 of 19

    Homebuyer education

    Required.

    Before commencement of homeownership assistance for a family, the family must attend and satisfactorily complete the pre-assistance homeownership and housing counseling program required by the PHA.

    From the official source
    • “Before commencement of homeownership assistance for a family, the family must attend and satisfactorily complete the pre-assistance homeownership and housing counseling program required by the PHA.”

      https://aspirews.org/january-2026-admin-plan/ · PDF page 15-21, §15-VII.F “Homeownership Counseling”

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Official sources for HCV Homeownership Program

The facts on this page were taken from these sources. Read the program’s own terms there before you rely on a figure.

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