Hometown Heroes: an extra 1% grant for El Paso County teachers, responders and healthcare workers

Fact sheet

How Hometown Heroes works

Hometown Heroes is an add-on, not a standalone program. It only works with a Pikes Peak DPA first mortgage, and it adds a 1% grant to PPDPA's forgivable second of up to 5%. On a $400,000 loan, that is $4,000 that never has to be repaid, on top of up to $20,000 of forgivable help. The add-on is offered for the first 75 loans to close, and the county does not publish how many remain, so check status when you start.

Which jobs qualify?

Full-time staff at K-12 public, charter and private schools, including teachers, aides, school nurses, bus drivers and custodians; firefighters, EMTs, police, corrections officers and dispatchers; RNs, LPNs, nurse practitioners, CNAs, hospital employees and other healthcare workers. Veterans and active military also qualify, and the full-time rule is waived for them. The home must be in El Paso County, including Colorado Springs, and PPDPA's own income limits and loan rules apply.

Hometown Heroes vs. Schools To Home and Colorado Champions

This is the main choice for Colorado Springs teachers and responders. Because Hometown Heroes rides on a PPDPA first mortgage, it cannot be added to Schools To Home or Champions, which use CHFA first mortgages. A school employee compares PPDPA plus 1% (mostly forgiven) with Schools To Home's larger second (repaid with shared appreciation). A deputy or firefighter compares it with Champions' 4% second. A participating lender can run both on the same home.

The job list is broader than most hero programs. It includes private school staff, CNAs and hospital workers who would not qualify for Schools To Home or Colorado Champions. For those workers, PPDPA plus Hometown Heroes may be the strongest option in El Paso County. Because only 75 loans are covered, apply soon after you decide, and get the lender's confirmation in writing.

Veterans and active military should bring proof of service.

How to apply

Ask a PPDPA participating lender to confirm the add-on is still available, then document full-time employment in a qualifying role or your veteran or military status. See the El Paso County page, our hero discounts guide, and check eligibility.

Questions about Hometown Heroes add-on (Pikes Peak DPA)

Similar programs

• Fort Lewis College Employee Mortgage Assistance Program · La Plata, Montezuma, Archuleta, Dolores and San Juan counties
• CHFA HomeAccess / HomeAccess Plus
• CHFA SectionEight Homeownership / SectionEight Homeownership Plus
• CHFA Preferred Very Low Income (VLIP)
• Colorado HFA1 / Colorado HFA1 Plus
• Colorado Roots Down Payment Assistance Fund

Summarized from the program's official page, November 2026. Money and rules shift; check today's terms with the administrator or a participating lender. Colorado Down Payment Assistance has no tie to this program.