Down payment help in Colorado Springs is real money. Up to $25,000 from CHFA. $5,000 to $12,000 from CHAC. And two national programs with no income limit at all. The catch is that El Paso County has some of the tightest limits in Colorado, so the program that fits a Denver buyer often does not fit here. This page has the actual 2026 El Paso County numbers. Colorado Springs based, 25+ years.
No SSN required. No credit pull. Takes about 2 minutes.
Last updated: September 24, 2026
Start Here: Which One Is Probably Yours
As of Q3 2026 (September 2026): CHAC’s statewide programs provide $12,000 as an immediate-payback or 5-year-deferral second (PRMG DPA List, 9/21/2026). The NHF National FHA program provides 3.5% or 5% of the price with no income limit, a 600 wholesale / 580 retail minimum score, forgivable after 3 years or repayable over 10 years at the first-lien rate plus 2% (NHF National FHA Product Profile, 08/13/2026).
First-time buyer, household income under $127,800
CHFA FirstStep Plus. An FHA loan with a zero-percent second loan for the lesser of $25,000 or 4% of your loan. No monthly payment on it. Paid back when you sell.
First-time buyer, and your parents never owned either
CHFA FirstGeneration Plus. Up to $25,000 no matter how small your loan is. Only one buyer has to be first-generation.
You have owned before, or you earn more
CHFA SmartStep Plus or Preferred Plus. The income limit jumps to $178,920 statewide. Repeat buyers welcome. SmartStep has a true grant option that is never repaid.
You earn too much for all of that
Chenoa Fund or National Homebuyers Fund. No income limit. 3.5% or 5% of the price on an FHA loan. Credit from 600 or 580.
You work for a Colorado K-12 school
CHFA Schools to Home. Up to 25% of your first mortgage. It comes with a shared appreciation deal you need to read twice.
You are a veteran or on active duty
You probably do not need any of this. VA is $0 down. The seller can pay your closing costs with no cap. We run VA first for every eligible buyer.
The El Paso County Numbers for 2026
Every program on this page checks two things: your household income and the price of the house. Both limits are set by county. These are El Paso County’s.
Source: CHFA income and purchase price limits effective June 15, 2026. Targeted areas are specific census tracts set by CHFA. We check the address before you write an offer.
CHAC in El Paso County
CHAC is a nonprofit that has helped Colorado buyers since 1982. Every CHAC program is first-time buyers only. The help is smaller than CHFA, $5,000 to $12,000, but the rules are different. CHAC sets no credit score minimum of its own. Your credit is judged by FHA rules instead. Household income counts every adult over 18 in the home, on the loan or not.
CHAC income limits for an FHA first mortgage in El Paso County, effective June 2, 2026:
On a conventional first mortgage CHAC uses one statewide table that starts at $110,880 for one person. The standard program starts a monthly payment on the help right away at 3%. The deferred program charges nothing for five years, then 5%, but the income limit is much lower. You put in 1% of the price yourself.
Two Programs With No Income Limit
This is the paragraph that matters most in Colorado Springs. Dual-income military households, defense contractors, and two-earner families blow past the El Paso County limits all the time. The Chenoa Fund and the National Homebuyers Fund do not have one.
Miss one payment during the 36-month window on the forgivable version and it stops being forgivable. It does not reset. Read that before you pick it.
What Does Not Work in Colorado Springs
- MetroDPA. It is a Denver-area program. It does not cover Colorado Springs or El Paso County, no matter what a listing says.
- Stacking two CHFA options. You pick the grant or the second loan. Not both.
- Rentals and second homes. Every program here is for a one-unit home you live in. The national programs allow two units.
- Using the help for your own contribution. CHFA needs $1,000 from you. CHAC needs 1%. A gift counts. The assistance cannot.
- Covering an appraisal gap. If the home appraises low, the help cannot fill the hole.
What Actually Stops These Loans Here
The class
Required on every program. Every buyer takes it. Take it the week you decide to look, not the week you go under contract. It delays more Colorado Springs closings than credit does.
Household income
CHAC counts every adult over 18 in the home. A grown kid with a job or a parent living with you can push you over.
The price cap
$566,730 on most CHFA programs in El Paso County. Check the cap before you shop the north end.
Owning something else
First-time means no home owned and lived in for three years, and no other residential property now. A rental at your last duty station counts.
A co-signer
CHAC allows none. If a parent needs to be on the loan, we go CHFA or a national program.
Waiting to apply
These programs add an agency approval step. Start the file before you write the offer, not after.
Pairing the Help With the Right Loan
How This Goes
We check both limits first
Income and price, for El Paso County and your household size. One conversation. It keeps you from shopping the wrong price range for a month.
You start the class
Before anything else.
We show every program in dollars
Actual money on your actual price, with the monthly payment next to it. If two fit, you see both.
You get pre-approved and shop
A real number and financing already lined up.
We handle the agency paperwork
Extra forms and an extra approval step. That is our side.
Colorado Springs Down Payment Assistance FAQ
How much down payment assistance can I get in Colorado Springs?
Up to $25,000 on most CHFA programs. $5,000 to $12,000 from CHAC. 3.5% or 5% of the price from the Chenoa Fund or National Homebuyers Fund. CHFA Schools to Home goes up to 25% of the first mortgage for Colorado school employees.
What is the CHFA income limit in El Paso County?
For 2026, $127,800 for a household of one or two and $146,970 for three or more on FirstStep Plus and FirstGeneration Plus. SmartStep Plus, Preferred Plus, HomeAccess, and Schools to Home use a statewide limit of $178,920. Targeted areas raise the FirstStep limits to $153,360 and $178,920.
What is the CHFA purchase price limit in Colorado Springs?
$566,730 in El Paso County for 2026. In a CHFA targeted area it rises to $692,670. This is separate from the income limit, and it is well below the $832,750 conforming loan limit.
Do I have to be a first-time buyer?
Not on CHFA SmartStep Plus, Preferred Plus, HomeAccess, or Schools to Home, and not on the Chenoa Fund or National Homebuyers Fund. CHFA FirstStep Plus, FirstGeneration Plus, and every CHAC program are first-time only.
What if I make too much for the Colorado programs?
Use the Chenoa Fund or the National Homebuyers Fund. Neither has an income limit. Both are FHA loans with 3.5% or 5% of the price in assistance and credit minimums of 600 and 580.
Does MetroDPA work in Colorado Springs?
No. MetroDPA is a Denver-area program limited to participating cities and counties. It does not cover Colorado Springs or El Paso County.
What credit score do I need?
620 on CHFA programs. 600 on the Chenoa Fund. 580 on the National Homebuyers Fund. CHAC sets no minimum of its own, but FHA credit rules still apply to the first mortgage.
Do I have to pay the help back?
Usually yes, but not monthly. Most of it is a zero-percent second loan paid back when you sell, refinance, or move out. The CHFA SmartStep Plus grant is never repaid. The CHAC standard program starts a monthly payment right away.
How much of my own money do I need?
$1,000 on any CHFA program, and a gift counts. 1% of the price on CHAC. $750 on the CHAC disability program. The assistance cannot cover your own contribution.
Can a veteran use down payment assistance in Colorado Springs?
Usually there is no need. VA is $0 down with no mortgage insurance, and the seller can pay closing costs with no cap. If you are VA-eligible we run VA first.
Related Guides
Every Colorado program with the full grids is on the Colorado down payment assistance page. Follow-up questions are on the Colorado DPA FAQ. Veterans start with the Colorado Springs VA loan hub. Self-employed buyers who need help with the down payment should read the Colorado Springs self-employed hub first, because the income document decides the first mortgage.
Written by
J.D. Peck
Area Manager and Mortgage Loan Originator at Paramount Residential Mortgage Group, Inc. NMLS #314883. 25+ years of mortgage experience, 3,100+ closed loans, Scotsman Guide Top Originator 2026.
Last updated: September 24, 2026. Loan program parameters subject to change — confirm current eligibility on your specific scenario before relying on any figure shown.
Tell Us Your Household Size and Rough Income
Two minutes. No SSN. No credit pull. We tell you which El Paso County programs you fit and what each one puts toward your purchase, in dollars.
Source: JD.Mortgage Team at PRMG, Down Payment Assistance in Colorado Springs: 2026 Programs and El Paso County Limits, updated September 2026, https://jd.mortgage/down-payment-assistance-colorado-springs/
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