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February 25, 2026 - The California Housing Finance Agency’s Dream For All Shared Appreciation Loan program began accepting applications for down payment assistance on February 24. The application window will close on March 16. After that, applications will be selected and audited. Recipients of conditional approval will have 90 days to shop for a home. C.A.R. was instrumental in getting funding for CalHFA’s down payment assistance program.

The life-changing down payment assistance program, which offers first-generation homebuyers up to 20% of their home purchase price or appraised value in down payment assistance, will be using a random selection process to facilitate the equitable distribution of state funds.

CalHFA expects to make $150 million to $200 million available for 2026, and potential applicants should start getting ready now. The random selection process will include Governor Newsom’s direction that at least 10% of the funding goes to applicants in a Qualified Census Tract.

All borrowers must meet CalHFA’s Dream For All income limits – about $148,000 in Del Norte  County, $168,000 in Los Angeles County and $309,000 in Santa Clara County – and need to work with one of CalHFA’s Approved Lenders to get a Pre-Approval letter, prior to submitting their application. Other documents will be needed for submission, including a government-issued ID and parent information—the complete list is located on the Dream For All webpage along with other valuable program information.

The California Dream For All program addresses the challenge of buying a home in California in several ways. First-generation homebuyers can receive a large enough down payment to eliminate the need for mortgage insurance and benefit from smaller monthly payments. The California Dream For All program’s shared appreciation loan will save the average homebuyer about $1,200 per month, according to California Forward, a nonprofit policy advocacy organization that prepared a report on shared appreciation for the California State Treasurer’s Office in 2022.

More info.

Source: CAR