Which Boulder programs are taking applications?
The biggest one is the H2O (House to Homeownership) loan. It lends up to $100,000 toward a market-rate home inside Boulder city limits, at 0% with no payments for 30 years. You repay the principal plus a share of appreciation equal to the loan's share of the price, so a loan covering 15% of the price repays 15% of the gain. To qualify you must not have owned a home in three years, and someone in the household must have worked in the city at least a year, at 30 or more hours a week. That covers Boulder Valley School District and CU staff, police, fire and hospital workers. Income can go up to 150% of area median ($157,500 for one person, $225,000 for four). Funding is limited and first-come, first-served, so it depends on what the city has left.
The Solution Grant works the other way. It is aimed at lower-asset buyers, usually under $15,000 in assets, and it covers up to 5% of the price on select Permanently Affordable or Thistle Communities land trust homes. Its income limits run from $85,260 to $121,800. Those Permanently Affordable homes come through the city's regional program, which also includes Lafayette. They sell below market under a permanent covenant to households earning up to $225,000 for four. H2O can't be used on them.
One thing to know at the county level: the Longmont-run Boulder County down payment program serves the county outside the City of Boulder, so city buyers rely on the programs above, metroDPA and the state options. Full-time BVSD employees can also look at CHFA Schools To Home. See the Boulder County guide for limits.
Boulder programs
H2O (House to Homeownership) Loan
Funds varyCity of Boulder
- Buyers
- First-time buyers (no ownership in 3 years) who have worked in the city of Boulder at least one year, buying a market-rate home in Boulder city limits
- Amount
- Up to $100,000
- Form
- deferred (shared appreciation)
- Income cap
- 150% AMI: $157,500 (1) / $180,000 (2) / $202,500 (3) / $225,000 (4); assets max about 1x income limit
- First-time only
- Yes
- Conditions
- City orientation and homebuyer education; one household member working 30 hrs/week; min $2,000 own funds; max DTI 45%; owner-occupied
0% interest, no payments for 30 years; repay principal plus a share of appreciation equal to the loan's share of price (e.g. 15% loan = 15% of appreciation). Funds limited, first-come first-served. Not for use with permanently affordable homes.
Checked November 2026 · method
Program details → Check my eligibility →Solution Grant
Funds varyCity of Boulder
- Buyers
- Lower-asset buyers of select Permanently Affordable or Thistle Communities land trust homes in Boulder city limits
- Amount
- Up to 5% of purchase price
- Form
- Grant
- Income cap
- HUD+10 (81.2% AMI): $85,260 (1) to $121,800 (4); assets generally under $15,000
- Price cap
- Eligible homes only
- Conditions
- May not own another home; orientation and homebuyer education; one member working 30 hrs/week; min $2,000 own funds; max DTI 42%; covenant restrictions
Grant bridges the gap between buyer's funds and minimum needed to close; funds limited, first-come first-served.
Checked November 2026 · method
Program details → Check my eligibility →Boulder Regional Affordable Homeownership Program (Permanently Affordable homes)
OpenBoulder Valley, mostly City of Boulder (regional partnership incl. Lafayette)
- Buyers
- Low, moderate and middle-income owner-occupants
- Amount
- Below-market purchase price with permanent affordability covenant
- Form
- deed-restricted / shared equity
- Income cap
- Program max $157,500 (1) to $225,000 (4); each home may have a lower limit
- Price cap
- Set per home; resale price capped
- Conditions
- Asset limits (e.g. $225,900 for 4); affordability covenant
Checked November 2026 · method
Check my eligibility →Boulder H2O (work-in-Boulder requirement)
Funds varyCity of Boulder
- Buyers
- First-time buyers who have worked in the city of Boulder for 1+ year (any occupation, incl. BVSD, CU, hospital, police and fire staff)
- Amount
- Up to $100,000
- Form
- deferred (shared appreciation)
Listed here because eligibility is tied to local employment; full details under local.
Checked November 2026 · method
Check my eligibility →County programs that cover Boulder
metroDPA (Metro Down Payment Assistance)
OpenDenver metro / Front Range: listed cities and towns plus unincorporated Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Elbert, Jefferson and Larimer counties
- Buyers
- Any buyer (first-time and repeat) buying a primary residence in a participating area; min FICO 620 (TMS) or 640 (U.S. Bank)
- Amount
- 0%, 3% or 4% of the first-mortgage amount (Nov 2, 2026 U.S. Bank guide); daily rate sheets currently show 0% or 3% for FHA/VA/USDA and 80%-AMI conventional, 2% for conventional over 80% AMI. 'EDGE' option: buyer or seller pays 2 points for a lower rate
- Form
- Deferred loan, repaid later
- Income cap
- $216,000 for FHA/VA/USDA and conventional over 80% AMI (same for all household sizes); conventional at/below 80% AMI tier $115,200 in Denver-metro counties ($120,000 Boulder, $104,320 Larimer, $102,400 Weld)
- Price cap
- None (agency loan limits apply)
- First-time only
- No
- Conditions
- Must use metroDPA first mortgage from an approved lender (30-yr fixed FHA, VA, USDA-RD, Fannie HFA Preferred, Freddie HFA Advantage); homebuyer education for all borrowers; occupy within 60 days; max DTI about 50%
0% 30-year second, never forgiven; due on sale, refinance, payoff or move-out. Cannot be combined with CHFA Schools To Home (each requires its own first mortgage). Incorporated cities listed include Denver, Aurora, Arvada, Lakewood, Westminster, Thornton, Northglenn, Brighton, Commerce City, Englewood, Littleton, Centennial, Golden, Wheat Ridge, Edgewater, Castle Rock, Parker, Lone Tree, Boulder, Longmont, Erie, Superior, Broomfield, Fort Collins, Loveland, Berthoud, Timnath, Wellington, Windsor, Greeley, Evans, Eaton, Ault, Johnstown, Firestone, Frederick, Dacono, Mead, Platteville, Keenesburg, Lochbuie, Elizabeth, Bennett, Deer Trail and others (eligible-areas PDF dated 06-12-23). Denver's page and metro-dpa.com show older figures ($210,150 income cap; 5% example).
Checked November 2026 · method
Program details →Check my eligibility →Statewide programs
10 statewide programs are also open to Boulder buyers, CHFA Schools To Home among them. Full Colorado directory · program match
County guide: Boulder County.
Homebuyer courses near Boulder County
Plan on a homebuyer education course before closing; nearly every program asks for one. HUD-approved agencies serving Boulder County:
| Agency | City | Miles | Services | Languages | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Community Resources and Housing Development Corporation | Westminster | 25 mi | homebuyer education class, pre-purchase counseling | English, Spanish | Face to Face, Phone, Internet |
| Brothers Redevelopment, Inc. | Edgewater | 28 mi | homebuyer education class, pre-purchase counseling | English, Spanish | Face to Face, Phone, Internet |
| Operation Hope-Commerce City Co | Commerce City | 30 mi | homebuyer education class, pre-purchase counseling | English | |
| Denver Housing Authority | Denver | 30 mi | homebuyer education class, pre-purchase counseling | English | Face to Face, Phone, Internet |
| Colorado Housing and Finance Authority | Denver | 30 mi | homebuyer education class, pre-purchase counseling | English, Spanish |
From HUD's housing counseling agency list. Programs differ on which courses they accept.
Boulder questions
Do I have to work in Boulder to get the H2O loan?
Yes. At least one household member must have worked in the city of Boulder for a year or more, at 30 or more hours a week. You must also be a first-time buyer (no ownership in three years), put in at least $2,000 of your own money and keep your debt-to-income at 45% or less.
How much do I pay back on an H2O loan?
You repay the principal plus a share of appreciation equal to the loan's share of the purchase price. There is no interest and no payment for 30 years. The city's example: a loan that is 15% of the price repays 15% of the appreciation.
Can I use the Boulder County program from Longmont inside Boulder?
No. That program covers the City of Longmont and Boulder County outside the City of Boulder. Buyers inside Boulder city limits use H2O, the Solution Grant, Permanently Affordable homes, metroDPA or statewide CHFA programs.
Check Boulder options in one pass
A lender who offers Colorado programs weighs the city, county and state programs together. No credit check.
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