Employer-Assisted Housing Program (EAHP)
EMPLOYER-ASSISTED HOUSING PROGRAM (EAHP)
The Employer-Assisted Housing Program (EAHP) offers eligible District government employees a deferred, 0% interest loan and a matching funds grant for down payment and closing costs to purchase their first single family home, condominium, or cooperative unit in the District.
The down payment assistance is a loan for the purchase of a principal residence in the District. The borrowers sign a promissory note secured with a subordinate deed of trust recorded against the property. The loan has zero interest, and no payments are required until the property is: (1) is sold or transferred; (2) no longer occupied as principal residence; or (3) refinanced with cash out.
There is no income cap for EAHP applicants, nor is there a cash contribution requirement. The maximum first trust loan amount cannot exceed the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) conventional loan limit for the District of Columbia. The provision of EAHP assistance is subject to funding availability.
EAHP First Responder
Who Is Eligible for the First-Responder Grant? The First-Responder grant requires employment, or acceptance of an offer of employment, with the District of Columbia as a police officer, firefighter, paramedic, emergency medical technician, or corrections officer. The First-Responder grant provides a $10,000 down payment assistance loan, which can be forgiven at the end of five years (representing a grant). However, for the loan to be forgiven the borrower must: (1) maintain the property as their principal residence; and (2) satisfy a five-year service commitment signed at the time of the home purchase. The First-Responder grant has a promissory note, secured with a subordinate deed of trust, which states the conditions of forgiveness. If the borrower does not meet the conditions necessary for forgiveness, the $10,000 remains as a zero interest loan, with payment deferred until the property is: (1) sold or transferred; (2) no longer occupied as principal residence; or (3) refinanced with cash out.
Negotiated Employee Affordable Home Purchase Program (NEAHP)
The District of Columbia’s Negotiated Employee Affordable Home Purchase Program (NEAHP) grant provides down payment and closing costs assistance to use towards the purchase of primary residence in the District of Columbia. Certain government employees, whose position is covered by a collective bargaining agreement, can apply. The program, a joint labor management effort, is administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and the Office of Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining (OLRCB) with the assistance of the District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency (DCHFA).
The amount of assistance is determined by the number years of service in the eligible collective bargaining unit. The assistance ranges from $3,000 to $26,500 and is provided in the form of a grant that is forgiven after ten years as long as the employee meets the terms of the grant agreement. NEAHP assistance will be in addition to any assistance provided by the DHCD or any other housing program for which the employee qualifies. Participant must maintain the property as their primary residence.