DownPaymentMap

Raleigh Homebuyer Assistance: Deferred Down Payment Loan

Citywide Homebuyer Assistance ProgramAdministered by City of Raleigh Housing and Community DevelopmentDeferred loanNorth Carolina

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

Published · Updated · Facts verified against the official source

What Is the Citywide Homebuyer Assistance Program?

The Citywide Homebuyer Assistance Program is a Raleigh, North Carolina homebuyer program that gives down payment assistance as a zero-interest deferred loan of up to $45,000. It is run by City of Raleigh Housing and Community Development and can be used for a down payment, closing costs, or a gap in financing on a home inside the Raleigh city limits.

The City's homebuyer assistance programs are for first-time homebuyers, and a Homeownership Class is required. See how it compares in our list of North Carolina down payment assistance programs.

Citywide Homebuyer Assistance Program at a glance

Maximum help
Up to $45,000.
Kind of help
A deferred loan.
Interest and forgiveness
0% interest. Forgiven after 30 years.
Income limit
The program publishes its own income limits by county and household size.
First-time buyers only?
Yes. You must be a first-time buyer.
Home price limit
Official City sources conflict on the citywide program's current purchase-price cap: the service page lists $389,500 in Program Descriptions and $384,750 in Steps for Buying, while the final FY 2026-27 Annual Action Plan states that the 2026 purchase price limit for homebuyer assistance and homeowner rehabilitation programs is $399,000.
Where
Raleigh city.
Homebuyer education
Required.
Current funding status
Funding status could not be confirmed.
Who runs it
City of Raleigh Housing and Community Development

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How Much Help Does Raleigh's Citywide Program Give?

The most the program lends is $45,000. The City describes the money as help with a down payment, closing costs, or gaps in financing, so it can fill a shortfall on either side of the purchase. The record does not say how the amount for each buyer is set, so ask your lender or the City how much fits your purchase.

Who Qualifies for the Citywide Homebuyer Assistance Program?

These are the program's rules as the City states them. Only the City decides who qualifies.

  • Income: household income at or below the City's limit, described as no more than 80 percent of area median income. The limit depends on household size, and the City posts the current table on its program page.
  • First-time or repeat buyers: first-time homebuyers only. The sources reviewed do not define "first-time."
  • Property types: single-family homes, townhomes and condominiums, new or existing.
  • Location: inside the Raleigh city limits.
  • Occupancy: the home must be your primary residence.
  • Homebuyer education: a Homeownership Class, taught by a HUD-approved Housing Counselor, earns the certificate the program requires.
  • Credit score: not stated in the sources reviewed.
  • Purchase price: the City's own pages give different price caps, so confirm the current one with the City before you shop.

Is Raleigh's Citywide Homebuyer Assistance a Grant or a Loan?

It is a deferred loan, not a grant. The interest rate is 0%, and no monthly payments are due while the loan is deferred. It works as a second mortgage behind your main home loan.

Do You Have to Pay Back the Citywide Homebuyer Assistance Loan?

Not on a monthly basis. No payments are due for 20 years unless you sell the home or it stops being your primary residence. If you stay in the home for an additional 10 years, 30 years in total, the loan is forgiven.

Which Mortgages Work With Raleigh's Citywide Program?

The City's sources do not list which first-mortgage types (FHA, VA, USDA or conventional) the program accepts. You get pre-approved through one of the City's approved lenders, and that lender can tell you which loans it pairs with the program.

Where Can You Use the Citywide Program in Raleigh?

The home must be located within the city limits of Raleigh. A home in Raleigh's surrounding areas outside the city limits is not covered. Check the address with the City before you make an offer.

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 the city of Raleigh. Where the program applies, from its approved record.

How to Apply for Raleigh's Citywide Homebuyer Assistance

The steps, in the City's order:

1. Complete the required Homeownership Class and earn your certificate. 2. Get pre-approved for a mortgage with an approved lender. 3. Your lender then applies to the City's program for you.

For questions, contact City of Raleigh Housing and Community Development at 919-996-4330 or housing@raleighnc.gov. Funding: the City's budget for this program runs through June 30, 2027, but as of September 26, 2026, the sources reviewed did not state whether funds are open to new applicants.

Citywide Program Example: First-Time Buyer in Wake County

A three-person household in Raleigh earns $78,000 a year and finds a $320,000 townhome inside the city limits. They plan to live in it as their primary residence.

Illustration only

Where
Raleigh city, Wake County
Household
3 people
Income
$78,000 a year
Home price
$320,000

About $45,000the program's maximum

May fit, with a question on the rules below, checked against the current record.

  • Where: Covers their city or town.
  • Property: A single-family home.
  • Income: Within the program's limit of $95,300 for a household of 3.
  • First-time buyer: They count as a first-time buyer.
  • Home price: No maximum home price is stated.
  • Who it is for: Open to anyone.
  • Funding: Funding could not be confirmed.

An example household, not a quote. Only the administrator decides who qualifies and for how much.

Questions about Citywide Homebuyer Assistance Program

What is the income limit for the Citywide Homebuyer Assistance Program?

The City says households must earn no more than 80 percent of area median income, with a limit that depends on household size. The City posts the current table on its Homebuyer Assistance page.

How much does the Citywide Homebuyer Assistance Program give?

Up to $45,000, as a zero-interest deferred loan for a down payment, closing costs, or a gap in financing.

Can repeat buyers use Raleigh's Citywide Homebuyer Assistance Program?

No. The City says its homebuyer assistance programs are for first-time homebuyers. The sources reviewed do not define a first-time homebuyer, so ask the City about your situation.

Does the Citywide Homebuyer Assistance Program pay closing costs?

Yes, it can. The City describes the loan as help with a down payment, closing costs, or gaps in financing.

Is the Citywide Homebuyer Assistance loan forgiven?

Yes, after 30 years. No payments are due for 20 years unless the home is sold or stops being your primary residence, and if you stay an additional 10 years the loan is forgiven.

Do you need homebuyer education for Raleigh's Citywide program?

Yes. The City requires a Homeownership Class, and the certificate you earn lets you take part in the program. The class must be taught by a HUD-approved Housing Counselor.

Can you use the Citywide Homebuyer Assistance Program outside Raleigh?

No. The home must be within the Raleigh city limits.

How do you apply for the Citywide Homebuyer Assistance Program?

You do not apply on your own. After the Homeownership Class, you get pre-approved by an approved lender, and the lender applies to the City's program for you.

Complete Citywide Homebuyer Assistance 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; 15 stated by the program
  • 5 official sources checked from City of Raleigh, City of Raleigh Housing and Community Development
  • Last verified October 2, 2026
  • Current funding status could not be confirmed
View all 19 verified program details ↓

  1. 1 of 19

    Program name

    Citywide Homebuyer Assistance Program

    From the official source

  2. 2 of 19

    Who runs it

    City of Raleigh Housing and Community Development

    919-996-4330

    housing@raleighnc.gov

    From the official source

  3. 3 of 19

    Kind of help

    A deferred loan.

    Zero-interest second mortgage assistance for down payment, closing costs, or a financing gap.

    From the official source

  4. 4 of 19

    Maximum amount

    Up to $45,000.

    Maximum assistance: $45,000.

    From the official source

  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

    0% interest. Forgiven after 30 years.

    Loans are deferred with no payments due for 20 years unless the home is sold or no longer the borrower's primary residence. If the owner remains in the home for an additional 10 years, for 30 years total, the loan is forgiven.

    From the official source

  7. 7 of 19

    Income limit

    The program publishes its own income limits by county and household size.

    The City states that both homebuyer assistance programs are for first-time homebuyers earning no more than 80 percent of area median income. Current household-size limits shown on the program page are $74,100 for 1 person; $84,700 for 2; $95,300 for 3; $105,850 for 4; $114,350 for 5; $122,800 for 6; $131,300 for 7; and $139,750 for 8.

    From the official source

  8. 8 of 19

    First-time buyer rule

    Yes. You must be a first-time buyer.

    Both City homebuyer assistance programs are for first-time homebuyers.

    From the official source
    • “Both of the City’s homebuyer assistance programs are for first-time homebuyers earning no more than 80 percent of the area median income (see the current income limits in step 1 under “Steps for Buying”).”

      https://raleighnc.gov/housing/services/homebuyer-assistance · Program Descriptions, introductory paragraph

  9. 9 of 19

    Maximum home price

    Official City sources conflict on the citywide program's current purchase-price cap: the service page lists $389,500 in Program Descriptions and $384,750 in Steps for Buying, while the final FY 2026-27 Annual Action Plan states that the 2026 purchase price limit for homebuyer assistance and homeowner rehabilitation programs is $399,000.

    From the official source

  10. 10 of 19

    Other must-know rules

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

    From the official source

  11. 11 of 19

    Where it applies

    Raleigh city.

    New or existing single-family homes, townhomes, or condominiums located within the city limits of Raleigh are eligible under the citywide program.

    From the official source

  12. 12 of 19

    Current funding status

    Funding status could not be confirmed.

    The final FY 2026-27 Annual Action Plan budgets CDBG and CDBG Program Income for Homebuyer Assistance through June 30, 2027, but the official sources reviewed do not explicitly state that funds are currently available for new applicants.

    Checked 2026-10-02.

    From the official source

  13. 13 of 19

    How to apply

    Complete the required homebuyer education, then work with an approved lender to obtain mortgage pre-approval. If eligible, the lender applies to the City's Homebuyer Assistance Program on the buyer's behalf.

    From the official source

  14. 14 of 19

    Official source

    https://raleighnc.gov/housing/services/homebuyer-assistance

  15. 15 of 19

    Dates

    The program service page was updated September 4, 2026; the City program overview is dated June 2025; and the final FY 2026-27 Annual Action Plan covers July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. No program-specific effective date is stated in the official sources reviewed.

    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

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

  19. 19 of 19

    Homebuyer education

    Required.

    The City requires a Homeownership Class; the June 2025 program overview states that the course must be taught by a HUD-approved Housing Counselor.

    From the official source

Report a mistake

If a figure here does not match the program’s own terms, tell us. Every report is read by a person and checked against the official source before the record changes.

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Programs differ in how much they give, who they are for, where they apply and how they are repaid. These may be worth comparing.

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Official sources for Citywide Homebuyer Assistance Program

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

Visit the official source →

Program rules can change. Confirm current terms with City of Raleigh Housing and Community Development or a participating lender before you rely on a figure. Record version 3.

Educational information, not a loan offer or an eligibility decision. Read the disclaimer or how we verify programs.