Down Payment Assistance in Illinois, Explained Properly
Program and regulatory figures verified September 25, 2026. Details change; confirm your scenario with us.
Most Illinois assistance pages list the four programs and the income limits. The rules that actually end applications sit elsewhere, and they are about who lives with you.
What actually varies in Illinois, and what does not
Start with the part that surprises people. In Illinois the property side of eligibility is almost fixed. Every one of the 102 counties carries the same 2026 conforming loan limit of $832,750. IHDA's purchase price cap repeats the same number on every county row too: $666,354 for a non-targeted one-unit home.
Now compare that to the market. Chicago is the most expensive metro in the state at a typical value of $357,265, roughly half the cap. The price ceiling is not a live constraint anywhere in Illinois at typical values.
So what does move? Income. That figure changes by county, by program, by household size, and by whether the address is in a targeted area. Four ladders, and you have to be on the right rung of the right one. The income limit page lays out all four.
Why a co-borrower cannot rescue a tight file
This is the finding worth the page. Two sentences in IHDA's origination guide, read together, close a door most buyers assume is open.
First: all borrowers must occupy the property within 60 days of close, and IHDA does not permit non-occupant co-borrowers. Page 15 removes any wiggle room, saying so regardless of loan type or program.
Second: household income is the total income of any person expected to live in the home and be liable on the note.
Put those together. A parent who stays in their own house cannot go on the loan. A parent who moves in and signs has their income counted against your limit. Either way the co-signer move that works on an ordinary FHA file does nothing here. The full explanation is here, including what does help instead.
The four programs, and the trade nobody mentions
| Program | Assistance | Maximum | What it costs you later |
|---|---|---|---|
| IHDAccess Home | 6% | $15,000 | Deferred 30 years, repaid on sale or refinance. First-time buyers only. |
| IHDAccess Repayable | 10% | $10,000 | Monthly repayment, zero interest, 10 years. |
| IHDAccess Deferred | 5% | $7,500 | Deferred 30 years, repaid on sale or refinance. |
| IHDAccess Forgivable | 4% | $6,000 | Forgiven across 10 years if you stay. |
Program terms below come from the IHDA program directory. The trade: the largest program carries the smallest income limit. In Cook County a one or two person household can earn $170,100 and use the other three, but only $121,500 to use AccessHome. That is a gap of $48,600, and it routinely puts the biggest number out of reach for the households that would benefit most. Compare all four properly.
Assistance is help, not a free pass
IHDA requires you to put in the greater of 1% of the purchase price or $1,000, from your own funds, and it shows on your Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure. On a $250,000 purchase that is $2,500.
There is good news inside that rule. Earnest money you have already paid counts. So do a borrower-paid appraisal, inspection and prepaid insurance. What counts and what does not is worth reading before you plan your cash.
Where to start
- Eligibility, the whole test in one place.
- Targeted areas, worth $24,300 of income headroom and $125,857 of price cap in Cook.
- Credit and DTI, where a 640 score and a 680 score part ways.
- Calculators, to see your assistance and your minimum investment.
Frequently asked questions
Can my parent co-sign an IHDA loan to help me qualify?
No. IHDA's origination guide states that all borrowers must occupy the subject property within 60 days of close and that IHDA does not permit non-occupant co-borrowers, regardless of loan type or program. A parent who keeps their own home cannot be on the loan. A parent who moves in and signs the note has their income counted toward the household income limit, because IHDA defines household income as the income of anyone expected to live in the home and be liable on the note. Either way it does not create headroom.
How much down payment assistance can I get in Illinois?
The most is IHDAccess Home at 6% of the purchase price to a maximum of $15,000, and it is restricted to first-time homebuyers. IHDAccess Repayable pays 10% to a $10,000 maximum but requires monthly repayment over 10 years. IHDAccess Deferred pays 5% to $7,500 and IHDAccess Forgivable pays 4% to $6,000. In every case you receive the lesser of the percentage and the cap, so on a $250,000 purchase the 6% program pays $15,000 rather than the full 6%.
Do Illinois down payment assistance limits change by county?
Only the income limit does. The IHDA purchase price cap is identical in every Illinois county at $666,354 for a non-targeted one-unit home, and all 102 Illinois counties share the same $832,750 conforming loan limit for 2026. Income limits vary from $157,640 in most counties to $190,120 in Kendall County, and separate tighter limits apply to IHDAccess Home based on household size.
Can I buy a home in Illinois with no money out of pocket using DPA?
No. IHDA requires a borrower minimum investment of the greater of 1% of the purchase price or $1,000, and it must come from your own funds or properly sourced gift funds where the automated underwriting system allows. It appears on your Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure. Tax proration cannot be used to meet it. Earnest money and a borrower-paid appraisal, inspection or prepaid insurance do count toward it.
Can I refinance my home if I have IHDA down payment assistance?
Refinancing is a repayment trigger, not just selling. IHDA describes IHDAccess Home and IHDAccess Deferred as deferred loans where repayment is due when you sell or refinance, and IHDAccess Forgivable as carrying no repayment unless the home is sold or refinanced before the 10-year forgiveness period ends. So a refinance inside the forgiveness window can make the assistance due even though you are staying in the home. Talk to us before refinancing a home that carries an IHDA second.
Is IHDA assistance a grant you never repay?
People usually call this a grant, and for one of the four that is close to true. Only one is forgiven, and only on a schedule. IHDAccess Forgivable pays 4% to a $6,000 maximum and is forgiven across 10 years, with repayment owed if you sell or refinance before that period ends. IHDAccess Home and IHDAccess Deferred are deferred second mortgages with no monthly payment that are repaid when you sell or refinance. IHDAccess Repayable requires a monthly payment at zero interest for 10 years.
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.