Housing Services Buying a Home Down Payment Assistance

Down Payment Assistance

More About Buying a Home

Philly First Home

Philly First Home is a homebuyer assistance grant from The City of Philadelphia that offerings up to $10,000 (or 6% of the home’s purchase price, whichever is lower) to help first-time homebuyers reduce their principal and cover down payment and loan closing costs.

To be eligible you must complete a free city-funded homeownership counseling program, like those offered by NKCDCbefore you sign an Agreement of Sale. Learn more about housing counseling below. If you have already received counseling, please contact your housing advisor by email to confirm that your counseling has been completed.

Additional details about Philly First Home

  • An Agreement of Sale can only be signed if you have completed counseling and have returned all required documents.
  • A four-hour online workshop does not meet the housing counseling requirement for this grant; you must have a one-on-one session with a housing counselor.
  • Additional free counseling sessions may be needed before you can sign your Agreement of Sale.
  • Agreements of Sale signed prior to May 2 are not eligible.
  • Philly First Home cannot be combined with First Front Door or PHFA Kfit grant.

I am so thankful for the work that is done at NKCDC. I tell people all the time, I wouldn’t be a home owner or have the credit score, resources, and information I have now if it wasn’t for the team at NKCDC!

Tiffany Khashi’in

Eligible borrowers

  • You must be a “first-time homebuyer,” which means you have not owned a home in the past three years
  • You must complete one-on-one homeownership counseling through a City-funded housing counseling agency before signing an Agreement of Sale.
  • You must be income eligible:
Persons in HouseholdMaximum Annual
Household Income
1$73,800
2$84,350
3$94,900
4$105,400
5$113,850
6$122,300
7$130,700
8$139,500
More than 8,
add per person
$8,450

Eligible property types

The property must be a single-family home or duplex located in Philadelphia (no condominiums).

How do I get the required housing counseling?

NKCDC’s certified housing advisors walk homebuyers through every step of the home buying process: purchasing a home within your budget, avoiding dangerous mortgages, learning your rights and responsibilities as a homeowner, understanding your deed and other legal documents, maintaining your home, avoiding foreclosure, etc.

Sign up for one-on-one housing counseling here. Your housing advisor will ask for a variety of information and documents, including:

  1. The most recent monthly income for your household
  2. Bank statements for the past two months
  3. Your total annual family income
  4. The sources of that income (including employment, SSI, DPA, etc.)
  5. Number of family members who will live in the house

Request an Appointment