Portland Metro + Oregon + Southwest Washington

Down Payment Help Is Not One Program

There are grants, matched-savings programs, forgivable loans, deferred second mortgages, community land trusts and special mortgage programs that can reduce the cash you need to buy. The hard part is figuring out which programs actually fit your income, location, property and financing.

Compare ProgramsTalk Through Your Options

Last reviewed August 2026. Program funding changes. Assistance amounts, income limits, interest rates and availability can change quickly. This page is a starting point, not a commitment to lend or a guarantee that funds will be available when you buy.

Major Programs to Know

Different ways to reduce the upfront cost of buying

These programs solve different problems. Some help with cash to close. Some lower the mortgage amount. Some create permanently affordable homes. Some are tied to a specific city, county or lender.

Counseling + lending + savingsOregon

Arrive formerly Portland Housing Center

A useful starting point for buyers who want a real plan, not just a mortgage quote.

  • HUD-certified counseling: one-on-one guidance around budget, credit, taxes and readiness.
  • Matched savings: eligible IDA participants can receive a 5:1 savings match, historically up to $10,000 for a home purchase.
  • MAP financing: Arrive's Mortgage Assistance Program can finance up to 20% of a home's purchase price at a low fixed rate and may reduce or eliminate PMI.
  • DPA access: clients may have access to down payment and closing-cost programs when eligible and funding is available.
Good fit when: you are still building your plan, need counseling, want to improve readiness, or want to explore multiple assistance paths before choosing a lender structure.
Visit Arrive
State mortgage + DPAOregon

OHCS Flex Lending FirstHome + NextStep

This is the current Oregon Housing and Community Services program family that many people still loosely refer to as “Oregon Bond.”

  • FirstHome: designed primarily for first-time buyers with low-to-moderate incomes, with certain exceptions.
  • NextStep: expands options to eligible buyers who may not be first-time homeowners.
  • Standard DPA: 4% of the first mortgage loan amount.
  • Focused Demographics DPA: 5% when applicable.
  • Terms depend on income: assistance can be a forgivable 0% second with no payments or an amortizing second mortgage.
Important: Flex Lending must be originated through an OHCS-approved lender. The rate and second-mortgage terms should be evaluated together, not separately.
Review OHCS Flex Lending
Community land trust + large grantsOR + SW WA

Proud Ground

Proud Ground can make a much larger affordability difference than a traditional 3% or 4% DPA program, but buyers need to understand the community land trust model and resale rules.

  • Below-market homes: income-qualified buyers can purchase homes already in Proud Ground's portfolio.
  • Open-market grants: Proud Ground also administers city and county grants that convert the purchased home into part of the Community Land Trust.
  • Current examples: Proud Ground currently lists grants of up to $200,000 in Tigard, $140,000 in Washington County, and $150,000 in Vancouver's Fourth Plain area and Clark County, with final amounts based on need.
  • Tradeoff: owner-occupancy and resale restrictions apply, and the homeowner shares future appreciation under the resale formula rather than keeping unlimited market appreciation.
Good fit when: traditional financing does not create a sustainable payment and you value a substantially lower purchase cost more than unrestricted future appreciation.
See current Proud Ground grants
Deferred second mortgagePortland

Portland DPAL

The Portland Housing Bureau's Down Payment Assistance Loan can provide a significant second mortgage for eligible first-time buyers purchasing inside Portland.

  • Potential assistance: current award amounts can reach approximately $80,000 to $100,000 depending on the funding source and location.
  • 0% interest: the 30-year loan has deferred payments while the buyer remains eligible and occupies the property.
  • Forgiveness: forgiveness can begin at the 15th anniversary and continue over the remaining term when program requirements are maintained.
  • Eligibility: first-time buyer, counseling, homebuyer education, qualifying income and a participating first-mortgage lender are required.
Watch the details: the funding source can affect where in Portland you may purchase and which income limit applies.
Review Portland DPAL
Local + Property-Specific Opportunities

Sometimes the best help is tied to the address

City and county programs can be powerful, but they tend to have tighter geography, property standards and funding windows.

Portland SDC Exemption Homes

This is not a check handed to the buyer. Portland's Affordable Housing System Development Charge Exemption lowers development costs for qualifying new homes, which can create below-market purchase opportunities.

  • 2026 sale-price cap: $455,000 for the Affordable Housing SDC program.
  • Owner occupancy is required for restricted homeownership units.
  • Income rules depend on when the project entered the program. Portland temporarily removed the buyer income requirement for certain older SDC-exempt homes with permits issued before January 1, 2026 that remain unsold, through the current temporary-program window.
Official Portland program

Welcome Home Beaverton

This is a Beaverton program worth checking because eligible properties have been marketed with substantial assistance, including up to $50,000 for qualified buyers.

  • Historically aimed at qualifying first-time and lower-income buyers.
  • Address eligibility and funding availability matter.
  • Homebuyer education/counseling and primary-residence requirements may apply.
Verify before relying on it: current City program terms are not consistently published in an easy-to-find public source. Treat this as an address-by-address program to confirm with the administering housing counselor before writing an offer.

Gresham WELCOME HOME

Gresham's current WELCOME HOME program can provide qualified low-income first-time buyers with assistance toward the down payment and reasonable closing costs.

  • Current assistance: $10,000 to $40,000.
  • 0% deferred-payment loan.
  • Forgiven at the end of 15 years when requirements are met.
  • The home must be in Gresham and serve as the buyer's primary residence.
Official Gresham program

Periodic Local Grants

Some opportunities do not operate like permanent government programs. Community organizations, nonprofits, lenders and employers may release limited grants or special funds for a particular group or funding cycle.

  • AREAA Portland has offered a $10,000 Pathway to Homeownership down payment assistance grant.
  • Limited grants can be first-come, application-based or tied to an education program.
  • Availability can disappear long before a buyer is ready to close.
These are worth watching, but do not build a purchase budget around a limited grant until the funds are actually reserved or awarded.
Southwest Washington Buyers

Washington has a different DPA system

For Vancouver, Camas, Ridgefield, Washougal and the rest of Clark County, do not assume an Oregon program structure applies. Washington buyers have their own state-supported lending and assistance options.

WSHFC Home Advantage

The Washington State Housing Finance Commission offers Home Advantage mortgages through participating lenders with multiple down-payment-assistance options. Homebuyer education and lender qualification are key parts of the process.

Washington homebuyer programs

Proud Ground Vancouver + Clark County

Proud Ground currently lists $150,000 grant opportunities for eligible buyers in Vancouver's Fourth Plain area and Clark County, subject to location, income, first-time-buyer rules and available funding.

See current Proud Ground grants
Read the Fine Print

“Down payment assistance” can mean five very different things

Two buyers can both receive $20,000 of assistance and end up with completely different long-term obligations.

01

Grant

Funds generally do not need to be repaid when all program requirements are satisfied.

02

Forgivable second

A second mortgage starts as a lien but may be forgiven over time if occupancy and other conditions are maintained.

03

Deferred second

No monthly payment may be due now, but the balance can become payable when you sell, refinance or stop occupying the home.

04

Repayable second

The assistance is another loan with its own payment, rate and term. It can still help with cash to close, but the monthly payment matters.

05

Land-trust subsidy

A large subsidy lowers the home cost in exchange for long-term affordability rules and a resale formula that limits future appreciation.

A Better Starting Process

Five steps before you count the assistance

1

Start with household income and location

Most program rules begin with who will occupy the home, household income, first-time buyer status and where the property is located.

2

Meet with a housing counselor when the program requires it

Arrive, Proud Ground and many local programs use counseling to determine readiness, documentation needs and actual eligibility.

3

Use an approved lender for the program

A lender can be excellent at normal conventional financing and still not participate in a specific DPA program. Approval matters.

4

Compare the full monthly payment and long-term restrictions

Look at the first mortgage rate, second mortgage, mortgage insurance, HOA, property taxes, resale formula and any forgiveness or repayment triggers.

5

Then shop for homes that actually qualify

Some programs restrict geography, purchase price, property type, condition or occupancy. That should influence the search from day one.

Common Questions

What buyers usually want to know

Is down payment assistance actually free money?

Sometimes. A true grant may not need to be repaid, but many DPA programs use a second mortgage. That second can be forgivable, deferred or fully repayable. Always confirm what happens if you sell or refinance in year two, year five and year fifteen.

What happened to Oregon Bond?

“Oregon Bond” is still a phrase you may hear from buyers, agents and lenders, but OHCS now presents its primary homebuyer mortgage products through Flex Lending. FirstHome and NextStep can be paired with current OHCS down payment assistance options through approved lenders.

Can I combine DPA programs?

Sometimes. OHCS specifically allows compatible additional assistance, but the lender has to confirm the other program meets the loan rules and lien-position requirements. Local grants and land-trust programs can have additional restrictions. Never assume two programs stack just because each works separately.

Do I have to be a first-time buyer?

Many programs use the common definition of not owning a primary residence during the previous three years, but not every program requires it. NextStep is one example of a state lending product that can serve eligible repeat buyers, while other programs offer veteran or targeted-area exceptions.

Should I choose the program with the largest assistance amount?

Not automatically. A larger subsidy can be transformative, but it may come with resale restrictions, a land lease or a narrower property search. A smaller program paired with a better first-mortgage rate can sometimes produce the stronger overall outcome. Compare the entire structure.

Not Sure Where You Fit?

Let's narrow the list before you start house hunting.

Start with where you want to buy, your rough income range, whether you have owned a home recently and what you currently have saved. Then identify the programs worth investigating and confirm the financing structure with the appropriate lender or housing counselor.

Schedule a Buyer ConsultationCall / Text (971) 285-2002