IHDAccess Home Pays Most and Asks Most
Program and regulatory figures verified September 25, 2026. Details change; confirm your scenario with us.
The biggest number on IHDA's menu, attached to the narrowest door. Knowing whether you fit takes about two minutes and saves a lot of wasted hope.
How it works
The IHDA program directory describes IHDAccess Home as a no monthly payment, deferred down payment assistance loan for first-time homebuyers, with repayment due when you sell or refinance. It pays 6% of the purchase price to a maximum of $15,000, over a 30-year term.
Deferred is the important word. There is no monthly payment and no forgiveness. The balance sits behind your first mortgage and comes due when the house is sold or the first mortgage is refinanced. It is not a grant, and any page telling you otherwise is wrong.
The 6% is capped, so above a $250,000 purchase you receive $15,000 regardless. At $200,000 you receive $12,000. At $150,000, $9,000.
Who actually clears the tests
Three separate hurdles, all tighter than the other programs.
| Test | IHDAccess Home | The other three |
|---|---|---|
| First-time buyer | Required unless Exempt | Not required |
| Income, Cook, 1-2 people | $121,500 | $170,100 |
| Income, Cook, 3+ | $139,725 | $170,100 |
| Purchase price, non-targeted one-unit | $566,354 | $666,354 |
The income row is where most files come apart. A dual-income Cook County couple with two professional salaries is frequently over $121,500 and comfortably under $170,100. They qualify for assistance, just not for this one.
The two routes in if you have owned before
A first-time homebuyer is someone who has not owned a principal residence at any time during the last three years. IHDA then defines Exempt status, which waives that requirement, two ways.
- A qualified veteran. The borrower or co-borrower must be the veteran, evidenced by a Certificate of Eligibility or a DD214 showing honorable discharge in the closing package. If only the spouse is the veteran, that spouse must also be a borrower and obligated on the note.
- A targeted address. The property itself carries the exemption. What targeted status is worth.
A targeted address does double duty here, because it also raises the AccessHome income limit, in Cook from $121,500 to $145,800 for a one or two person household. For a household of three or more it rises to equal the general limit.
The spouse test that catches people
For a first-time-buyer program, both the borrower and a non-borrowing spouse must clear the three-year test. The guide states it applies even if the non-borrowing spouse will not be residing in the property, and that for IHDA tax code compliance a person is either married or single with no gray area.
A separated buyer whose spouse owns a home is therefore affected, even where that spouse has nothing to do with the purchase. More on how household rules work.
If you do not fit
You are not out of options, you are on a different rung. IHDAccess Repayable, Deferred and Forgivable all use the general income limit and carry no first-time requirement. Below about $150,000 the Repayable program pays more than AccessHome does anyway.
See also all four income ladders and the assistance calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What is IHDAccess Home?
IHDA's largest down payment assistance program, paying 6% of the purchase price to a maximum of $15,000 as a 30-year deferred second mortgage with no monthly payment, repaid when the home is sold or the first mortgage is refinanced. It is the only IHDA program restricted to first-time homebuyers and it carries separate income limits that are lower than the general limits.
What is the income limit for IHDAccess Home?
It varies by county and household size, effective 7-1-2026. In Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will it is $121,500 for a one or two person household and $139,725 for three or more. In Kendall it is $135,800 and $156,170. Across the other counties it is $112,600 and $129,490. Those limits are substantially below the general limit of $170,100 in the Chicago area.
Can a previous homeowner get IHDAccess Home?
Yes, through Exempt status, which IHDA grants two ways. A qualified veteran is Exempt, evidenced by a Certificate of Eligibility or a DD214 showing honorable discharge, and where only the spouse is the veteran that spouse must also be a borrower obligated on the note. A property located in a targeted area is also Exempt, which means the exemption attaches to the address rather than the buyer.
Is IHDAccess Home forgiven?
No. It is a deferred loan, not a forgivable one. IHDA describes it as a no monthly payment, deferred down payment assistance loan where repayment is due when you sell or refinance, across a 30-year term. The forgivable option is IHDAccess Forgivable, which pays 4% to a $6,000 maximum and is forgiven across 10 years.
How much does IHDAccess Home pay on a $200,000 house?
$12,000, because 6% of $200,000 is below the $15,000 maximum. The program pays the lesser of 6% and $15,000, so the cap begins to govern at a purchase price of $250,000. At $150,000 it pays $9,000, at $250,000 and above it pays $15,000.
Mike Certo · NMLS #260555 · Cornerstone First Mortgage NMLS #173855 · Equal Housing Lender. Educational content about financing, not a loan commitment and not legal or tax advice. IHDA program terms, income limits and purchase price limits are set by the Illinois Housing Development Authority and change; figures here carry the date we verified them and IHDA's own disclaimer applies, that funding and availability are subject to change and are not guaranteed until a complete reservation is placed. Loans are subject to borrower and property qualification.