News Source: Down Payment Resource

Program count reaches new high as grants grow and program flexibility increases

ATLANTA, Ga., Oct. 22, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Down Payment Resource (DPR), the housing industry’s leading affordability intelligence platform, today released its Q3 2026 Homeownership Program Index (HPI) report, identifying 2,833 programs nationwide. The total is up 87 programs, or 3.2%, from 2,746 in Q2 2026, marking a new survey high.

Image caption: Down Payment Resource identifies 2,833 homeownership programs nationwide in Q3 2026.

Down payment assistance (DPA) provides meaningful financial support that strengthens borrower profiles. On average, these programs deliver $18,000 in benefits per buyer and lower loan-to-value ratios by an average of 8.8%, which can reduce mortgage insurance costs and improve debt-to-income ratios. By covering upfront costs such as down payments, closing costs and rate buydowns, these programs help convert qualified buyers into successful homeowners.

Grant programs, which require no repayment, continue to grow, rising from 234 in Q2 to 239 in Q3, and giving homebuyers access to funds that do not increase their debt burden. At the same time, programs with no income restrictions reached 311, up from 291 in Q2, reflecting growing flexibility for lenders to serve a broader range of borrowers, including those above traditional income thresholds.

The number of programs supporting a broader range of property types also continued to grow. This quarter, 2,296 programs supported new construction, up from 2,209 in Q2. Programs supporting manufactured homes increased to 1,124 from 1,089 in Q2, and programs supporting multi-unit properties grew to 997 from 962 in Q2, providing lenders and real estate professionals with broader coverage across diverse housing needs and price points.

“Quarter after quarter, the universe of available programs keeps expanding, and the depth of that expansion matters. More than 2,100 programs are actively funded and ready to use right now, and more than a third carry no first-time homebuyer requirement,” said Rob Chrane, founder and CEO of Down Payment Resource. “Lenders who assume these programs only apply to a narrow slice of their pipeline are leaving recoverable volume on the table.”

The business case for closing that gap is embedded in lenders’ own data. A 2025 DPR analysis of $6.5 billion in declined loan volume found that 35% of those files could have been funded if the borrower had been matched with an appropriate homeownership program. On average, each eligible borrower in that sample qualified for more than 10 programs and nearly $27,000 in benefits, enough to materially change qualification outcomes.

KEY HPI REPORT FINDINGS

An examination of the 2,833 homeownership programs on Oct. 1, 2026, resulted in the following key findings:

• Count reaches new high: The total number of programs increased to 2,833, up 87 from 2,746 in Q2 2026, continuing a streak of consecutive survey highs.
• DPA programs expand: Programs providing down payment and closing cost support increased 3.1% to 2,110, up from 2,046 in Q2, reflecting continued investment by program providers to meet growing affordability needs.
• Grants grow: Grant programs increased to 239, up from 234 in Q2, offering homebuyers funds with no repayment obligation and no added debt burden.
• More programs with no income limit: 311 programs carry no income restrictions, up from 291 in Q2. These programs give lenders greater flexibility to qualify a broader range of borrowers, including higher-income households that may not realize they are eligible.
• Programs extend beyond first-time buyers: 1,080 programs, representing 38% of all programs, have no first-time homebuyer requirement, giving repeat and move-up buyers a wider range of options than many realize.
• Property type coverage expands: 2,296 programs support new construction, 1,124 support manufactured homes and 997 support multi-unit properties, giving housing professionals broad options for buyers across diverse needs and price points.

A more detailed analysis of the Q3 2026 HPI findings, including infographics and examples of the programs described in this release, can be found on DPR’s website at: https://downpaymentresource.com/professional-resource/down-payment-programs-reach-record-levels-in-q3-2026-as-grants-grow-and-program-flexibility-increases/

For a complete list of homebuyer programs by state, visit (PDF): https://downpaymentresource.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/HPI-state-by-state-data.Q32026.pdf

Members of the media are encouraged to contact DPR for data specific to their reporting needs.

METHODOLOGY:

Published quarterly, DPR’s HPI surveys the funding status, eligibility rules and benefits of U.S. homeownership programs administered by state and local housing finance agencies, municipalities, nonprofits and other housing organizations. DPR communicates with over 1,400 program providers throughout the year to track and update the country’s wide range of homeownership programs, including down payment and closing cost programs, Mortgage Credit Certificates (MCCs) and affordable first mortgages, in the DOWN PAYMENT RESOURCE® database.

ABOUT DOWN PAYMENT RESOURCE:

Down Payment Resource (DPR) is the mortgage industry’s affordability intelligence platform, operationalizing down payment programs at scale for lenders, MLSs and API users. Its embedded intelligence helps automate program eligibility, decisioning and delivery, connecting homebuyers with the programs they need through a national database of over 2,800 programs. DPR’s technology is used by seven of the top 25 mortgage lenders, two of the largest real estate listing websites and 600,000 real estate agents. For more information, visit https://downpaymentresource.com/.

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This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (Down Payment Resource), who is solely responsible for its accuracy, by Send2Press Newswire.

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