Guides / Down Payment Assistance / Michigan

Down Payment Assistance in Michigan

Michigan does have a distinct state-level down payment assistance system, run entirely by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA), Michigan's state housing finance agency — so no need to fall back to a regional/city program. The flagship, currently active program is the MI 10K DPA Loan, a $10,000 zero-interest deferred second mortgage that must be paired with an MSHDA MI Home Loan first mortgage; it requires first-time buyer status (with exceptions), a 640+ credit score, county-based income limits, and a sales price cap that was dramatically raised in 2025-2026 (from $224,500 to roughly $510K-$566K statewide) under Michigan's HB 5032, though the exact current figure fluctuates with IRS safe-harbor updates and should be confirmed with a lender. A second real MSHDA program, the First-Generation DPA (up to $25,000), is also documented here for completeness, but its initial funding was exhausted around May 2025 and it is not currently accepting new applicants as of 2026 — this is flagged honestly rather than presented as a live option.

Programs

MI 10K DPA Loan (paired with MI Home Loan)
Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) — the state housing finance agency
Amount: Up to $10,000 toward down payment, closing costs, and prepaid expenses, structured as a 0% interest, non-amortizing second mortgage with no monthly payments. Repayment is deferred until the home is sold, refinanced, the first mortgage is paid off, or the property stops being the borrower's primary residence.
Type: Deferred-payment second mortgage (0% interest DPA loan), available statewide, must be paired with an MSHDA MI Home Loan (first mortgage)
Must be a first-time homebuyer (no home ownership in the past 3 years) in most of the state (repeat buyers now qualify in many counties following a 2025 law change); minimum credit score 640 (660 for multi-section manufactured homes); household income must be under MSHDA's county-specific limits (these vary widely by county and household size — e.g., roughly $95,900-$110,285 in Macomb County vs. $129,720-$151,340 in Kalamazoo County for 2026); home sales price must be under the current statewide/county limit (raised substantially in 2025-2026 under Michigan House Bill 5032 from a longstanding $224,500 cap to a figure in the roughly $510,000-$566,000 range statewide, tied to 90% of IRS Mortgage Revenue Bond safe-harbor limits and updated periodically — buyers should confirm the exact current cap for their county with an MSHDA-approved lender); borrower liquid assets generally capped around $20,000; property must be a primary residence; completion of a HUD-approved homebuyer education course is required.
MSHDA First-Generation Down Payment Assistance (First-Gen DPA)
Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA)
Amount: Up to $25,000 toward down payment, closing costs, and prepaid escrows (larger than the standard MI 10K DPA)
Type: Grant/DPA pilot program funded via an $8 million state budget appropriation
IMPORTANT STATUS NOTE: This program's initial funding round was fully exhausted around May 2025 after assisting roughly 320 families, and as of 2026 it is closed to new applicants (no active waitlist). When it was active, eligibility required: first-generation homebuyer status (borrower has not owned a home in the last 3 years AND no parent of the borrower had ownership interest in a home in the last 3 years); minimum credit score of 640; primary-residence single-family home or condo; purchase price under MSHDA's price limit; household income within MSHDA limits; completion of a face-to-face HUD-approved homebuyer education class. Buyers who would have qualified are directed back to the standard $10,000 MI 10K DPA loan above. Included here because it is a real, named MSHDA program, but honestly flagged as currently unfunded/closed rather than a live option for 2026 applicants.

Facts on this page reflect research current as of 2026-07-05. Programs, rates, and laws change — confirm current figures with the relevant state agency before relying on them.

Related Resources
Property Taxes in MichiganTransfer Tax & Closing Costs in MichiganBuyer-Agent Agreements in MichiganSeller Disclosure Laws in MichiganFind Agents in MichiganDown Payment Calculator