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BHA tenants seeking to purchase a home in Boston are eligible for $75,000 in enhanced down payment assistance from the City of Boston.
What is the BHA First Home Program?
BHA’s First Home Program is a partnership with the City of Boston Mayor’s Office of Housing where the City will provide eligible BHA residents with enhanced down payment assistance of $75,000 for a home purchased within the City of Boston.
If you are a BHA Public Housing Tenant
You can be eligible to receive enhanced down payment assistance from the City of Boston if you are seeking to purchase a home within Boston, please complete the BHA First Home Public Housing Homeownership
Application. To qualify as a BHA Public Housing resident you must be residing in one of the BHA housing communities from this
LIST. If you are in a PBV unit please email
firsthome@bostonhousing.org for confirmation of your current PBV/Section 8 status. Residents residing in a Project Based Voucher (PBV) unit have the option to convert to a mobile voucher after leasing for 1 year and have the option to use the voucher towards a mortgage. To view other resources for down payment and first time homebuying assistance throughout the state of Massachusetts please visit
My Mass Home.
Public Housing Tenants seeking homeownership must be homebuying ready meaning they meet the following requirements:
- Be employed consistently for the past 2 years
- Have at least $4,000 saved
- Have a credit score above 650
- All household members on your lease have not owned a home or owned interest in a home within the past 3 years
- Completed a first time home buyer course within the last 3 years
If you are a BHA Section 8 Participant
If you are a BHA Section 8 Participant seeking to use your current rental voucher towards purchasing a home, you MUST submit an
application to the BHA First Home Program. In order to be eligible your household must be in good standing with BHA, in compliance with all Section 8 requirements AND meet all first time home buying readiness requirements which include minimum income, savings, credit score, and employment requirements. You can view all Section 8 Homeownership requirements via the
application page. The City of Boston down payment assistance is only for properties within Boston. Your Section 8 voucher can be used towards a home purchase within a town/city within the BHA jurisdiction, to view all towns/city covered under BHA jurisdiction please click
here. To view other resources for down payment and first time homebuying assistance throughout the state of Massachusetts please visit
My Mass Home.
BHA Section 8 Homeownership Requirements. To view a video on Section 8 Homeownership requirements please click this Link.
- Be a current BHA resident (meaning you have an active recertification completed by your BHA leasing officer with an effective rent) AND in Good Standing, meaning you do not owe an outstanding balance to BHA
- Be employed working at least 30 hours per week (unless elderly or disabled)
- Have at least $4,000 saved
- Have a credit score above 650
- All household members on your lease have not owned a home or owned interest in a home within the past 3 years
- Completed a first time home buyer course within the last 3 years
I am not a tenant of BHA, How do I port into BHA?
The BHA is not accepting porting into our Homeownership Option at this time due to BHA only billing housing authorities and not absorbing vouchers.
First Home Program Common Questions
BHA’s
First Home Program is a partnership with the City of Boston Mayor’s Office of Housing where the City is providing eligible BHA residents with enhanced down payment assistance of $75,000 for a home purchased within the City of Boston. This program benefits all BHA tenants already residing in Boston or BHA Section 8 households currently living outside or employed outside of Boston but seeking to purchase in Boston.
Do I have to buy in Boston?
To receive the $75,000 assistance you must purchase in Boston.
I am a BHA Section 8 Household but I want to buy outside of Boston.
You must submit an application and if you meet all Section 8 Homeownership requirements you have the option to use your voucher towards a mortgage in any town/city covered under BHA jurisdiction which is listed on the
BHA payment standard chart.
I would like general first time homebuying information.
Please visit the website
mymasshome.org to find first time homebuying resources for Boston and throughout Massachusetts.
How many BHA households has the program served?
As of March 2025, the BHA First Home Program has supported 70 BHA households in purchasing their first home with 64 of those households purchasing a home within Boston.
What happens after I submit an application?
Once BHA receives your application it will be screened for eligibility and an email notification will be sent within two weeks to notify status and/eligibility. It is important to make sure you complete your application carefully and upload all required documents for timely processing.
Who do I contact if I have more questions? Please consult the program
FAQ guide please note majority of the information in this guide pertains to Section 8 Households and Section 8 requirements. You can also email questions to:
firsthome@bostonhousing.org