First-time home buyer programs in Massachusetts and Boston

What MassHousing offers

MassHousing does not lend directly. Its FAQ explains that more than 80 partner lenders offer MassHousing mortgages; you pick an approved lender, the lender decides your eligibility, and MassHousing buys the loan after closing. The mortgages have fixed rates, and MassHousing offers conventional and FHA financing.

Eligibility basics. The home must be your primary residence in Massachusetts: a single-family house, a condominium, or a 2-, 3- or 4-family property. MassHousing’s FAQ says minimum credit scores range from 640 to 700 depending on loan type, property type and loan-to-value ratio. Its lender matrix (effective June 15, 2026) sets a 640 minimum and a 45% maximum debt-to-income ratio for the first-time-buyer products, and says borrowers cannot own other real property at closing.

Down payment assistance (DPA). The DPA is a second mortgage. As of October 2026 MassHousing’s page lists three options:

Source: MassHousing, Down Payment Assistance page.

The lender determines which option and amount you qualify for. The lender matrix ties the $30,000 deferred loan to MassHousing’s Workforce Advantage (WFA) products, which carry household income limits. A separate $25,000 deferred 0% option was closed to new rate locks after July 2, 2026; since July 6, 2026, MassHousing has offered the 2% and 3% amortizing options instead (announcement of June 24, 2026).

Other MassHousing benefits. MassHousing mortgages come with “MI Plus”: if you lose your job, it helps pay your mortgage for up to six months, up to $4,000 a month, at no added cost on loans it insures. Members of the National Guard or Reserves, active-duty military, veterans and Gold Star families may be eligible for a $2,500 closing cost credit.

Income limits for Boston (Suffolk County)

MassHousing’s limits, effective June 15, 2026, apply to the combined income of everyone who will live in the home.

Source: MassHousing forms L-101 HFA and L-101 WFA, effective June 15, 2026. Limits change; ask your lender for the current table.

Programs from the City of Boston

The Mayor’s Office of Housing, through the Boston Home Center, runs the city’s programs. To qualify you must buy a one- to three-family home or condominium in Boston as your primary residence, be a first-time buyer (no property owned in the past three years), complete a Homebuying 101 class, get a pre-approval from one of the city’s participating lenders (the loan must follow Fannie Mae’s general loan limits), and meet income and asset limits.

Source: boston.gov, Financial Assistance for Homebuyers, First-Time Homebuyer Program and ONE+Boston pages.

For Boston residents the First-Time Homebuyer assistance is a grant. For non-Boston residents it is a 0% deferred loan repayable on transfer, refinance or sale, and the city says this loan structure applies from September 15, 2026, except to non-Boston residents who submitted a complete application and a signed offer or purchase agreement by September 14, 2026.

ONE+Boston builds on the “ONE Mortgage” rates of the Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP); the city says its funds discount ONE+Boston rates below the already-discounted ONE Mortgage rates. We could not open MHP’s own ONE Mortgage page, so we give no ONE Mortgage terms here; check MHP and the city’s ONE+Boston page for current rates and limits.

How to apply

1. Take a homebuyer class. MassHousing says it is the first step and is required for its mortgage and DPA. Boston requires its Homebuying 101 class (CHAPA-approved) for any city loan program. MassHousing’s list of approved providers includes several Boston organizations and the City of Boston Home Center, 617-635-4663.
2. Choose a participating lender. Use a MassHousing-approved lender for MassHousing financing, and a city-listed lender for Boston programs. The city asks you to contact a lender before the Home Center for ONE+Boston.
3. Apply and gather documents for each program. MassHousing’s page says its DPA may be combined with other local programs, such as the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston’s Equity Builder, and that many cities and towns offer their own first-time buyer help.

To see where these steps fit in the purchase, read our guide to the steps of buying a home. Costs not covered by assistance are explained in closing costs in Massachusetts, and prices are on our home prices page. FHA financing is explained in our FHA loans guide, and local detail is on our page about buying a home in Boston.