2026 Changes in Mortgage Assistance

11. General Provisions. (a) Absolutely nothing in this order will be construed to impair or otherwise affect: (i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or company, or the head thereof; or (ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to monetary, administrative, or legal propositions.

(c) This order is not meant to, and does not, develop any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party versus the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, staff members, or agents, or any other individual. (d) The costs for publication of this order will be borne by the Department of the Treasury.

TRUMP THE WHITE HOUSE, March 13, 2026.

CalHFA offers California novice buyers 4 working support programs in 2026: MyHome (as much as 3.5% of the cost for deposit or closing costs), ZIP (2% to 3% in zero-interest closing expense aid), MyAccess (a 2.5% deferred loan), and Dream For All (as much as 20% of the price, topped at $150,000, for first-generation buyers).

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The catch is eligibility: your certifying income needs to clear your county's 2026 limitation, one borrower needs a property buyer education certificate, and MyHome and Dream For All both require novice purchaser status. Dream For All is closed as of July 2026, while MyHome and ZIP stay open year-round. This page sets out each program with the 2026 numbers, pulled from the company's released limits and loan provider matrices.

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Absolutely nothing sours a purchaser much faster than checking out about last year's program that stopped taking applications. Free assessment Inform us your county, credit, and rough price variety. We'll inspect your earnings against the current 2026 table and tell you which state programs your file in fact supports, at no cost. 4 programs, one fast comparison.

Here is how they line up. ProgramWhat it coversAmountInterestKey requirementDown payment or closing costs3.5% (FHA), 3% (traditional, VA, USDA)Easy interest, deferredFirst-time buyer; any CalHFA first mortgageClosing costs only2% or 3% of the very first mortgageZero interestCalPLUS first mortgageDown payment or closing costs2.5% of the loan amountDeferredCalPLUS Gain access to first, coupled with MyHomeDown payment or closing costsUp to 20% of rate, max $150,000 Shared appreciationFirst-generation and novice buyer; window-basedEvery row is a deferred junior loan.

CalHFA is the California Housing Finance Company, and it has financed homes given that 1975. That funding model is why its core programs remain open year after year while grant-funded programs come and go.

The agency never provides to you directly. A CalHFA-approved private lending institution comes from the loan, through loan officers the state has actually trained. The loan officer matters.

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Dream For All is the exception, and we cover its window-based reality listed below. MyHome is a deferred-payment junior loan, the firm's own term for a 2nd home mortgage with no regular monthly payments.

On traditional, VA, and USDA loans the cap is 3%. The statewide median home ran roughly $930,000 in May 2026, per the California Association of Realtors. Versus that rate the FHA version deserves more than $30,000 of assistance. One correction, since a lot of pages get this wrong and an older version of this one did too.

The program handbook defines it as a simple-interest loan. ZIP is the truly zero-interest program. MyHome sits in second lien position behind your first mortgage.

A Complete Manual to 2026 Relief

Purchasers who desire support that forgives instead of deferring must compare the Elite Grant, which forgives in just 6 to 36 months on qualifying FHA files. Lenders call these "silent seconds" due to the fact that the junior loan makes no monthly demand on your budget. Your housing expense is simply the first home mortgage, taxes, and insurance coverage.

ZIP stands for Zero Interest Program. The loan equates to 2% or 3% of your very first mortgage, and it charges no interest.