First-time home buyer programs in Arizona: Home Plus, Phoenix

Who runs what in Arizona

Arizona has no single state down payment program run from one office. The Arizona Department of Housing’s website blocked our automated access on October 13, 2026, so we could not read it; the figures below come from the program administrators’ own sites and from the City of Phoenix.

• Home Plus is provided by the Arizona Industrial Development Authority (Arizona IDA), statewide.
• Home in Five Advantage is a Maricopa County program of the Maricopa County IDA and the Phoenix IDA.
• Open Doors is the City of Phoenix Housing Department’s program, for homes inside city limits.

Home Plus (statewide)

According to the Arizona IDA’s program page:

• Amount: up to 4% for down payment and closing costs. The page does not say which amount the percentage applies to; your lender will.
• Form: a “no interest, no payment, deferred soft second mortgage,” completely forgiven after 5 years (60 months). If you sell or refinance the first mortgage within 60 months, the second lien must be repaid, and the Arizona IDA says it grants no exceptions.
• Income: borrowers’ annual income may not exceed $155,386 (as of April 6, 2026), measured as pre-tax gross income. The same limit applies in every county.
• First-time status: not required. The program’s FAQ says you do not have to be a first-time buyer, although owning other real estate may restrict your options.
• Education: one borrower must complete a homebuyer education course before closing.
• Credit score: the program requires a score that meets its minimum and that of the new first mortgage. The number is in the lender product matrix, which we could not read in text, so ask the lender.
• How to apply: not directly. You go through an approved participating lender.

The Arizona IDA also runs Arizona Is Home, but its lender page shows it is not offered in Maricopa County, and that page states the 2026 funds are exhausted. For a Phoenix-area purchase, look at Home Plus and Home in Five.

Home in Five Advantage (Maricopa County)

The program was launched in September 2012 by the Phoenix and Maricopa County IDAs. The program’s site lists:

• help of up to 6% for down payment and closing costs, plus a loan at a competitive interest rate;
• income up to $153,440, a minimum FICO score of 640 and a debt-to-income ratio up to 50%;
• a home in Maricopa County, a new purchase (no refinancing), and no purchase price limit;
• occupancy within 60 days of closing, and an 8-hour homebuyer course from an Arizona-based HUD-approved counseling agency.

The program’s “Arizona is Home” option is a separate set of terms: 3%, 4%, 5% or 6% with a 7-year forgivable second loan, interest-free, with no payments unless the home is sold, transferred or refinanced before the 84th month. It sets an income limit of $131,520, requires first-time status (no residential property owned in the last three years), six months of Arizona residence and a 1% origination fee at closing. The second loan cannot be subordinated or assumed.

Mortgage Credit Certificates (MCC)

An MCC is a federal tax credit equal to a share of the mortgage interest you pay. The Home Plus site says MCCs are issued statewide by a single issuer, require first-time status (no home owned in the past three years, veterans included) and carry county income and price limits that “could be lower” than the DPA limits. It lists no credit rate or Maricopa figures, so confirm them with the issuer through your lender. See IRS Form 8396 for how the credit is claimed.

City of Phoenix: Open Doors

The Phoenix Housing Department’s fact sheet (August 25, 2026) and program page say:

• Amount: up to 10% of the purchase price; the amount is based on need.
• Form: a deferred loan at 0% interest with no monthly payments, fully forgiven after an affordability period of up to 15 years, depending on the loan amount. It comes due on a sale, a change of residency or a refinance during that period.
• Who: first-time buyers as defined by FHA, with household income at or below 80% of area median income: $62,950 (1 person), $71,950 (2), $80,950 (3) and $89,900 (4), per the city’s 2026 limits.
• Home: inside the city of Phoenix, passing a property inspection, with a price limit of $470,250.
• Other conditions: an 8-hour education class and one-on-one counseling from a HUD-approved agency, a fixed-rate mortgage of at most 30 years, at least $1,000 of your own money, a two-year home warranty and no cash back at closing.
• Layering: the loan “can be layered with other homeownership assistance programs.” Funding reservations are limited and the program can change without notice. The fact sheet gives 602-256-3359.

The city also lists a Section 18 program that sells city-listed properties as-is with no income limit and no first-time requirement, and a Community Land Trust program run through a nonprofit; the city page gives no terms for it.

Example. On a $400,000 Phoenix home, 10% is at most $40,000. Because assistance is “based on need”, the actual loan may be lower.

Comparison of the main programs

Assistance can cover part of the minimum down payment on an FHA loan and of your closing costs. Check prices first in our Arizona home prices article and the Phoenix page; the home-buying steps guide shows where assistance fits.