Most lists of Houston first time buyer programs are out of date. The two that show up first, the City of Houston program and the Harris County program, both turn most buyers away today. If you build a budget around money you cannot get, you find out at the worst moment.
Here is what each program says on its own page as of October 2026, so you can plan with money you can actually get.
Start with what is closed, because that is the part most guides skip. The table below comes from each program’s own page.
| Program | Status | Headline help |
|---|---|---|
| City of Houston Homebuyer Assistance Program | Closed, no funds left | Up to $75,000 per the City’s page |
| Harris County Down Payment Assistance | Shut to non affected applicants | Up to $40,000 |
| My First Texas Home (TDHCA) | Appears active, funding permitting | 2% to 5% of the loan |
| Home Sweet Texas (TSAHC) | Appears active, no pause notice | Up to 5% of the loan |
| Homes for Texas Heroes (TSAHC) | Page describes it as available | Up to 5% of the loan |
The state programs are where the open money is. Even those say funding can run out, so a lender has to confirm availability when you apply.
The City of Houston Homebuyer Assistance Program has run out of money. Its page says the City is “no longer accepting or processing additional applications at this time.” Applicants can reapply when the City adds funding, first come first served, and a preapproval letter now stays valid for three months.
The page still advertises up to $75,000 based on household financial need. It requires household income at or below 80% of Area Median Income, a home that pays City of Houston taxes, and a $350 minimum buyer contribution. Many broker guides still say $50,000, so they are out of date. The City’s draft guidelines show the amount rose to $50,000 in April 2023, up from $30,000 in 2018.
One more note from the City’s page. The City has temporarily suspended the program for properties in the Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens railroad sampling zone while the EPA investigates.
Probably not, unless Hurricane Beryl or the Derecho affected you. The county page says it can no longer accept applications from non affected individuals because the program has reached maximum capacity.
If you are one of the affected applicants, the terms are narrow. The award is up to $40,000, effective November 18, 2025. The home must be in unincorporated Harris County, in a qualified census tract and outside a flood hazard area. Price caps are $285,000 for an existing home and $296,000 for a new one. The page lists a credit score of at least 580, a $1,000 minimum buyer contribution and a HUD approved course. The county number is 832-927-4955.
My First Texas Home is the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs program, and its August 17, 2026 matrix is the current rulebook. The help is 2% to 5% of the total loan, as either a 30 year deferred second lien at 0% interest or a 3 year forgivable second, funding permitting.
You need a middle credit score of at least 620 and a HUD certified homebuyer course. The matrix lists FHA, VA and USDA loans. First time buyer here means no owned and occupied primary residence in the last 3 years, with exemptions for qualified veterans and homes in qualified targeted census tracts.
Income and price limits vary by county and change by year. We did not find the official 2026 Harris County table, so do not rely on an older flyer. Ask your lender for the current limits table.
They add a second state option from the Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation. Home Sweet Texas offers down payment help of up to 5% of the loan as a grant or a forgivable second lien that the lender forgives after 3 years. It lists minimum credit scores of 620 for government loans and 640 for conventional ones, and it requires approved homebuyer education. First time status is not always required.
TSAHC also offers an optional Mortgage Credit Certificate for first time buyers, a federal credit of 15% of annual mortgage interest. Homes for Texas Heroes carries the same up to 5% help for teachers, firefighters, EMS, peace officers, correctional officers and veterans, among others. County income limits sit in a TSAHC calculator, so check your county there.
Talk to a lender who works with these programs before you tour. Down payment help usually runs through a participating lender, and the rules about credit, education and price caps decide which house you can shop for.
Then run your payment honestly. Taxes in many newer communities include a MUD line, which we explain in our post on how Houston MUD taxes work. Our Houston buyer page walks through the steps from preapproval to closing.
The Agency Team is a Houston brokerage led by Broker and CEO Waldina Galeano, TREC Broker License #665052. Call (832) 207-3277 and tell us your budget, and we will point you to what is open today.
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No. The City's own page says it is no longer accepting or processing additional applications because program funds have run out. Applicants can reapply once the City adds funding, first come first served. Check the City's housing page before you plan around it, and ask a lender about the state programs in the meantime.
Only in a narrow case right now. The county page says applications from non affected individuals no longer accepts non affected applicants because the program reached maximum capacity, and it is open only to Hurricane Beryl or Derecho affected applicants. The program also covers only unincorporated Harris County. Call the county office at 832-927-4955 to confirm.
For My First Texas Home, it means you have not owned and occupied a primary residence in the last 3 years. There are exemptions for qualified veterans and for homes in qualified targeted census tracts. Other programs set their own definition, and some do not require first time status at all, so read each program's rules.
Usually yes. My First Texas Home requires a HUD certified homebuyer course. Home Sweet Texas requires approved homebuyer education. The Harris County program requires a HUD approved course as well. Ask your lender which course the program accepts before you book one, so you do not pay for the wrong class.
My First Texas Home offers 2% to 5% of the total loan, either as a 30 year deferred second lien at 0% interest or a 3 year forgivable second, funding permitting. Home Sweet Texas offers up to 5% of the loan as a grant or a forgivable second lien. Funding and terms change, so confirm the current rules with a participating lender.
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