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City of Boulder

Boulder H2O (House to Homeownership): up to $100,000 for local workers

First-time buyers who have worked in the city of Boulder for at least a year can borrow up to $100,000 at 0% interest toward a market-rate home inside city limits.

Fact sheet

H2O (House to Homeownership) Loan

Funds vary

City 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

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Status: H2O (House to Homeownership) Loan depends on funding that can run dry. We can tell you when a fresh round is released.

How H2O works

The City of Boulder funds H2O and Impact Development Fund administers the loans. You make no payments for 30 years and pay no interest. At sale, refinance or the end of the term you repay the principal plus a share of appreciation equal to the loan's share of the purchase price: if H2O covered 15% of the price, the city receives 15% of the gain. Funds are limited and handed out first come, first served, so availability changes.

Who qualifies for H2O?

You must not have owned a home in the past three years, and you must have worked inside Boulder city limits for at least one year, in any field, from school staff to hospital, police or fire employees. One household member must work 30 hours a week. Income caps are set at 150% of AMI: $157,500 for one person, $180,000 for two, $202,500 for three and $225,000 for four, and assets are capped at about one times the income limit. You need at least $2,000 of your own money, DTI cannot exceed 45%, and the home must be your primary residence. H2O cannot be used on permanently affordable homes.

H2O vs. Schools To Home for Boulder Valley staff

Schools To Home allows another provider's grant but no other subordinate loan, and H2O is a loan, so a school employee should expect to choose between them. Both share appreciation; H2O's fixed $100,000 ceiling may beat Schools To Home's 25%-of-loan cap on some purchases. A participating lender confirms which pairings work with metroDPA or other first mortgages.

Example: on a $650,000 home, a $97,500 H2O loan would be 15% of the price. If the home later sells for $750,000, the $100,000 gain would mean a $15,000 appreciation payment on top of the $97,500 principal. That trade lets local workers buy in a market where the cash needed would otherwise take years to save. The asset cap of about one times the income limit keeps the program aimed at buyers who truly need it.

How to apply

Attend the city's orientation, finish homebuyer education, and document a year of Boulder employment before applying with IDF. Check funding status on the city's page first. See the Boulder County page, the DPA mistakes guide, and check eligibility.

County guides for this program: Boulder County.

Questions about H2O (House to Homeownership) Loan

How much can H2O lend?

Up to $100,000 at 0% interest with no payments for 30 years.

Do I have to live in Boulder to qualify?

You must have worked in the city of Boulder for at least a year and buy a market-rate home inside city limits.

Is H2O money still available?

Funds are limited and first come, first served; check the city's page for current status.

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