Down Payment Assistance Program (DAP)
Down payment assistance is available to qualified buyers for homeownership:
Until further notice, the amount of Harris County’s down payment assistance for new and pre-existing homes is up to $23,800.00.
The maximum purchase price for a pre-existing home is $200,000.00. The maximum purchase price for a new home is $228,000.00.
Effective May 25, 2018, the pre-existing homes must be built post 1978. With the rising cost of homes in Harris County, the implementation of this change will allow more homebuyers to meet the required 39% front-end-ratio and 42% back-end-ratio.
A homebuyer that needs an amount over $14,999 to meet the front and back-end-ratio will incur an increase in their affordability period from (5) years to ten (10) years.
Effective May 25, 2018, the following will be included in the homebuyer’s closing costs:
- 3-Year Home Warranty on all pre-existing homes – Maximum of $500.00 per year.
- One (1) Year Flood Insurance Policy – Maximum Policy $500.00.
Checklist to insure that you meet the minimum
DAP requirements:
- Meet income requirements (see income chart below)
- Home is required to be in an unincorporated area of Harris County (cannot be in the City of Houston, Pasadena, or Baytown)
- Be a 1st time homebuyer, or not have owned a home for three years prior to applying for assistance, or have lost previous home in extenuating circumstances such as a loss due to a fire, flood, or hurricane
- Be credit and program approved through one of the participating mortgage lenders(see Approved
Lenders button below) - Have at least $500 or 1/2 of lenders required down payment to invest in the purchase
- Have at least one credit score of 580
- Buyer’s debt front end ratio cannot exceed 39% and the debt-to-income (DTI) ratio cannot exceed 42%
- Buyer cannot have more than $15,000 in liquid assets
- Buyer is required to have a final signed household budget from their approved Homeownership Education Provider
- Borrower, Co-Borrower and/or Non-Participating Spouse are required to be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident Alien
- To begin the DAP process, all applicants must attend in person a homebuyer certificate program from a HUD approved homebuyer education course provider (see button below) and select a participating mortgage lender (see Approved Lenders button below)
- To participate in this program, you must live in the new or pre-owned house for a minimum of five years. A homebuyer that needs an amount over $14,999 to meet the front and back-end-ratio will incur an increase in their affordability period from (5) years to ten (10) years.
Harris County DAP Frequently Asked Questions
2019 DAP Guidelines and Procedural Manual
Income Chart
Effective July 1, 2020, Total Family Gross Income Cannot Exceed the Following:
| Number of family members | Max annual income * |
| 1 | $44,150 |
| 2 | $50,450 |
| 3 | $56,750 |
| 4 | $63,050 |
| 5 | $68,100 |
| 6 | $73,150 |
| 7 | $78,200 |
| 8 | $83,250 |
Your income is not totally determined from your paycheck. It is also determined by use of your checking, savings, investment, and retirement accounts at a rate of point six percent (.06%), plus any other forms of income you might receive, such as child support, reoccurring gifts, etc.
For Information on the Texas First Time Homebuyer Program, click on flag below:
Your Path To Home Ownership $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
How much can you afford to spend on a home? Providing the information below will allow you to calculate how much you can afford to spend on a home. However, many additional factors play a part in the loan qualification process.
To calculate how much you can afford to pay for a house, click here.
For the City of Houston’s Homebuyer Assistance Program (HAP), please click here.
For the City of Houston’s Workforce Housing Downpayment Assistance Program (WHDAP), please click here.
Harris County Housing Authority provides qualified Housing Choice Voucher families with the opportunity to own a home of their own. To learn more, visit: Harris County Housing Authority’s Independence Downpayment Assistance Program:
Texas Veteran Land Board
1-(800) 252-VETS
Ask about purchasing land and other VA programs.
For a county map that covers the area served by Harris County’s DAP program, click here.
Email your comments and questions to the Harris County staff.
