A current guide to down payment assistance available to Illinois homebuyers in 2026, with amounts, structure (forgivable, deferred or repayable), income limits and open/closed status for each program. Covers IHDA Access Forgivable, Access Deferred, Access Repayable and Access Home, FHLBank Chicago Downpayment Plus, the Cook County Down Payment Assistance Program, Chicago Building Neighborhoods and Affordable Homes, and Chicago HomeGrown. Maintained by Jorge Flores, an IHDA-approved loan officer at Neighborhood Loans.
Illinois buyers can commonly access $6,000 to $25,000, and in some Chicago programs far more. IHDA Access Forgivable offers up to $6,000, Access Deferred up to $7,500, Access Repayable up to $10,000, and Access Home up to $15,000 deferred for 30 years. FHLBank Chicago Downpayment Plus adds up to $10,000. Cook County's Down Payment Assistance Program offers up to $25,000 as a forgivable second, though as of September 2026 its funding is limited and running only through Wintrust Mortgage. The City of Chicago's Building Neighborhoods and Affordable Homes program can reach $100,000 on qualifying new construction, and Chicago HomeGrown offers up to $70,000. Amounts are maximums; income and purchase-price limits apply and availability changes without notice.
Sometimes. Certain Illinois programs can be layered — for example a city or county program alongside an FHLBank Chicago grant — but IHDA Access tiers cannot be combined with each other, and every program has its own rules on what it can sit behind. Stacking has to be structured before you write an offer, which is why buyers work it out with an IHDA-approved loan officer first. Jorge Flores at Neighborhood Loans (NMLS #224368) reviews stacking scenarios at no cost, in English or Spanish, at (708) 220-3364.
Not always. Many IHDA programs define a first-time buyer as someone who has not owned a home in the past three years, and some programs waive the requirement entirely — Cook County's Down Payment Assistance Program has no first-time buyer requirement, and buyers purchasing in a federally targeted area are often exempt. Repeat buyers should check program-by-program rather than assume they are ineligible.
It depends on the program type. Forgivable assistance is written off over a set occupancy period — IHDA Access Forgivable over 10 years, Cook County's program over 5 — and you owe nothing if you stay. Deferred assistance carries no monthly payment and no interest but comes due when you sell, refinance, or pay off the first mortgage. Repayable assistance is a second loan amortized alongside the first, typically over 10 years.
Jorge A. Flores, Senior Mortgage Loan Officer, NMLS #224368. Neighborhood Loans, NMLS #222982. Berwyn, Illinois. Telephone (708) 220-3364. Service available in English and Spanish.
Down payment assistance programs · Loan options · Check your eligibility · Español
Equal Housing Lender. Neighborhood Loans is an Illinois Residential Mortgage Licensee. This is not a commitment to lend. All loans subject to credit approval; program terms, amounts and availability are subject to change.