Colorado Down Payment Grants: Who Qualifies in 2026

How Many Colorado Down Payment Grants Are Really Grants?

Colorado down payment grants are rarer than the word suggests. Of the main programs a Broomfield buyer will hear about this fall, one is money you never repay: the CHFA Down Payment Assistance Grant. The others are loans, even when they carry a 0% rate and no monthly payment.

That difference matters when you sell or refinance. So it is the first thing I sort out with buyers. My Colorado down payment assistance guide walks through how assistance fits your file from first call to closing. This page answers a narrower question: which Colorado down payment grants exist in 2026, who qualifies, and what the alternatives cost you later.

Program	What You Get	Do You Repay It?	Tied To
CHFA Down Payment Assistance Grant	Up to the lesser of $25,000 or 3% of the first mortgage	No	CHFA first mortgage
CHFA Second Mortgage	Up to the lesser of $25,000 or 4% of the first mortgage	Yes, deferred	CHFA first mortgage
CHFA FirstGeneration or HomeAccess	$25,000	Yes, deferred	CHFA first mortgage
metroDPA	A percentage of the first mortgage	Second mortgage, 0%, 30-year deferred	metroDPA first mortgage
Broomfield Down Payment Assistance	Up to 10% of the price per the city page (see below)	Yes, 0%, at 30 years or on sale or transfer	Home in Broomfield

Sources: CHFA, metroDPA, and the City and County of Broomfield, read October 30, 2026. Terms can change, so confirm them on your file.

Who Qualifies for Colorado Down Payment Grants Through CHFA?

The Colorado Housing and Finance Authority does not lend to you directly. Instead, its general requirements are checked by a participating lender, and they come down to four items:

Credit: a mid-credit score of 620 or higher. That means the middle of your three bureau scores. My credit score guide explains how lenders read them.
Income: at or below CHFA's limit for your program and county.
Education: each borrower takes a CHFA-approved homebuyer class before closing.
Your own money: at least $1,000 toward the purchase. Gift funds from eligible sources can count, and my gift funds guide covers the paperwork.

Notice what is not on that list. CHFA's general requirements do not include a first-time buyer rule, although some of its programs have one. You also still need to pass the lender's normal underwriting.

The grant has strings too. It only comes with a CHFA first mortgage, and CHFA notes that higher interest rates apply. So is the grant worth it? That depends on whether the cash saved today beats the higher rate over the years you keep the loan. To answer that, I put a Loan Estimate with the grant next to one without it.

What Colorado Down Payment Grants Pay on a Real Loan

CHFA's percentages assume a 30-year, fixed-rate first mortgage. Here is what they produce at a few loan sizes.

First Mortgage	3% Grant	4% Second Mortgage	FirstGeneration or HomeAccess
$350,000	$10,500	$14,000	$25,000
$500,000	$15,000	$20,000	$25,000
$625,000	$18,750	$25,000	$25,000
$832,750	$24,982	$25,000	$25,000

Two details stand out. First, the $25,000 ceiling on the grant almost never matters. CHFA caps most of its loans at $832,750, and 3% of that is still just under $25,000. Second, the 4% second mortgage reaches its ceiling at a $625,000 loan.

For context, Broomfield County's median list price was $589,900 in September 2026, according to Realtor.com. That is an asking price rather than a sale price, but it shows where these percentages land locally. A loan near $500,000 brings about $15,000 from the grant. That is real money, but it will not cover a typical down payment and closing costs on its own.

2026 Income Limits for Colorado Down Payment Grants and Loans

Income limits are higher than most buyers expect, and they are not all measured the same way. CHFA's limits effective June 15, 2026 and metroDPA's June 2026 table look like this across the north metro:

County	Most CHFA Programs (Any Household Size)	FirstStep and FirstGeneration, 1-2 People / 3+ People	metroDPA
Broomfield	$178,920	$144,000 / $165,600	$216,100
Adams	$178,920	$144,000 / $165,600 ($172,800 / $201,600 in targeted areas)	$216,000
Jefferson	$178,920	$144,000 / $165,600 ($172,800 / $201,600 in targeted areas)	$216,100
Boulder	$178,920	$150,000 / $172,500	$216,000

The measuring stick matters. For most CHFA programs, only the income your lender uses to qualify you counts. For FirstStep and FirstGeneration, CHFA counts gross income from all applicants. It also counts a spouse or civil union partner who will live in the home, plus anyone else living there who is secondarily liable on the loan. As a result, a household can pass one test and fail the other.

Price limits differ as well. FirstStep and FirstGeneration carry an $832,750 purchase price limit in these counties. metroDPA says it has no purchase price limit. Its homepage still shows an older $210,150 income figure, so I work from the dated county table.

Your exact address can also change the answer. Targeted areas in Adams and Jefferson counties carry higher FirstStep and FirstGeneration limits, while Broomfield County's are the same either way. Thornton, Westminster, and Arvada are all on metroDPA's approved list.

Not Sure Where You Land?

Send Me Your Income and Price Range

I am happy to run your household against each income test and tell you which of these programs is worth a closer look, including whether I can offer it on your file. A rough income, a credit range, and the price you are watching are plenty to start.

(720) 436-5280

The Colorado Down Payment Grants That Are Really Loans

CHFA second mortgage. This pays more than the grant, but you repay it when you pay off the first mortgage, sell, refinance, or stop living in the home. CHFA does not allow both the grant and this second mortgage on one purchase.

CHFA FirstGeneration and HomeAccess. Both offer $25,000 as a deferred second mortgage on a 30-year fixed loan, whatever the loan size. FirstGeneration is for buyers who have never owned a home. Their parents or guardians also must not have owned one during the buyer's lifetime. Buyers who lived in foster care qualify if they have never owned a home. Every borrower on the loan must also not have owned a home in the prior three years. HomeAccess serves people living with a permanent disability and parents or guardians of someone who is, and its minimum contribution is $500.

Two job-based programs. CHFA Colorado Champions serves peace officers, firefighters, and EMTs with income up to $196,810. It offers a second mortgage up to the lesser of $25,000 or 4%. CHFA Schools To Home offers full-time public school employees a second mortgage up to 25% of the first mortgage. In exchange, you share a percentage of your home's appreciation, so read that formula closely.

metroDPA. This is a 30-year, 0% second mortgage with no scheduled payments, and it is open to first-time and repeat buyers. It requires a minimum 640 credit score, or 620 in some cases, and has no minimum borrower investment. Denver's lender agreement says portions are forgiven over time. Because the consumer pages do not publish a schedule, I get those terms in writing before you rely on them.

Broomfield's Program Uses Grant Money but Makes You a Loan

Here is where the word causes the most confusion. Broomfield's Down Payment Assistance Program is funded by a state Proposition 123 grant to the city. You, however, receive a 30-year, 0% loan with no monthly payment. It comes due at the end of the term or when the home is sold or transferred. The state's Prop 123 program goes to local governments and nonprofits, not directly to buyers, so there is no state grant application to fill out.

Sources disagree on the cap. The city's Housing Programs page says up to 10% of the purchase price, and an August 2026 article on Our Broomfield says up to 20%, with some buyers receiving less. Confirm the current figure with the Colorado Housing Assistance Corporation (CHAC) at 303-572-9445, extension 113. At 10%, a $589,900 home would mean up to $58,990, far more than the CHFA grant.

The rules are also tighter. The home must be in Broomfield. You must also be a first-time buyer (no ownership in three years) or a first-generation buyer, and first-generation applicants get priority. You also contribute the greater of $1,000 or 1% of the price, and you complete a homebuyer course. Income limits use area median income; for 2026 the city's table shows 100% at $100,800 for one person and $144,000 for four. CHAC's 2025 flyer listed the 80% and 100% tiers, so ask which applies to you.

Keep expectations realistic, because this is a small program. The city's Year in Review reports four households helped since it began, with $170,980 in total assistance. Its 2026 action plan also says the city applied to extend the funding, so ask CHAC about availability before you build an offer around it.

What This Means for You

If you want the cleanest structure, the CHFA grant is the one to price first, since nothing comes due later. Just compare it against the same loan without assistance.

If you expect to sell or refinance within a few years, look closely at any second mortgage, because the balance comes out of your proceeds. In addition, some CHFA programs carry a federal recapture tax in certain cases. It can apply if you sell within nine years at a net gain and your income has risen past a set amount.

If you need more than 3%, then a larger second mortgage may be the honest answer, and that is fine. A 0% deferred loan can be a very good tool, as long as you know it is a loan. My Broomfield first-time buyer guide shows how these pieces fit with your down payment, and I also have guides for Westminster and Arvada buyers.

Each statewide option is tied to its own first mortgage, so you will generally choose one path. CHFA and metroDPA both work only through participating lenders. So ask any lender, me included, whether they are approved for the program you want.

Colorado Down Payment Grants: Quick Facts

True no-repayment option: CHFA Down Payment Assistance Grant

Grant amount: Up to the lesser of $25,000 or 3% of the first mortgage

Trade-off: CHFA says higher interest rates apply

CHFA minimum score: 620 mid-credit score

CHFA minimum contribution: $1,000 ($500 for HomeAccess)

Most CHFA programs, income limit: $178,920 of qualifying income

metroDPA, Broomfield income limit: $216,100

Broomfield program contact: CHAC, 303-572-9445, extension 113

Broomfield County median list price: $589,900, September 2026

FAQs About Colorado Down Payment Grants

Are there Colorado down payment grants in 2026?

Yes. The CHFA Down Payment Assistance Grant offers up to the lesser of $25,000 or 3% of a first mortgage, with no repayment required. It must be paired with a CHFA first mortgage, and CHFA says higher interest rates apply. Most other programs Broomfield buyers hear about, including metroDPA and Broomfield's own program, are loans with deferred repayment.

Who qualifies for the CHFA down payment grant?

CHFA's general rules call for a mid-credit score of 620 or higher, income within CHFA's limits, a CHFA-approved homebuyer class for each borrower before closing, and at least $1,000 of your own contribution. Gift funds can count toward that $1,000. A participating lender also has to approve you under normal underwriting rules.

What are the 2026 CHFA income limits in Broomfield?

As of June 15, 2026, most CHFA first mortgage programs use $178,920 of qualifying income regardless of household size. CHFA FirstStep and FirstGeneration use gross income limits of $144,000 for one or two people and $165,600 for three or more in Broomfield County, with an $832,750 purchase price limit.

Is metroDPA a grant?

No. The program's own materials describe the assistance as a 30-year, 0% second mortgage with no scheduled payments. Denver's lender agreement says portions are forgiven over time, but the consumer pages do not publish a schedule, so I confirm it on your file. It is open to first-time and repeat buyers, with no purchase price limit.

How much is Broomfield's down payment assistance program?

The city's Housing Programs page says up to 10% of the purchase price, as a 30-year, interest-free loan. An August 2026 article on the city's community site says up to 20%, so confirm the current cap with the Colorado Housing Assistance Corporation, which runs it with the city. Repayment comes at the end of the term or when the home is sold or transferred.

Can I use a CHFA grant and a CHFA second mortgage together?

No. CHFA says borrowers can take either the grant or the second mortgage, not both. CHFA FirstGeneration can be paired with another down payment program if that program counts as a community second, meets underwriting guidelines, and sits in third lien position when that applies.

Let's Talk

Find Out Which Colorado Program Fits You

I work from 8181 Arista Place in Broomfield, and I would rather show you the real trade-offs than sell you on a word like grant. Tell me where you are today, and we will compare your options side by side. Call me at (720) 436-5280, or visit mandiepallone.com to get started.