Looking to Buy Your First Home?
Housing Development Fund (HDF) can help you achieve your dream of owning your first home. We’ve worked with homebuyers across Connecticut and New York to make buying their first home a reality. HDF is a HUD-approved counseling agency.
At HDF, we have a variety of loan programs such as SmartMove, Live Where You Work, Forever Home, designed to help you with the downpayment and closing costs. We also offer free first time homebuyer education classes and homeownership counseling services. See below for program eligibility guidelines.
First Time Homebuyer Counseling
At HDF, you work one on one with a HUD Certified Counselor to help you understand the process of buying a home, budget, develop an action plan to increase savings, reduce debt, and identify programs to assist you with downpayment and closing costs. To start the process you need to create a portal account, fill out an intake form, submit required documentation, and pay for a credit report.
First Time
Homebuyer Education
We offer free pre-purchase homebuyer education classes and landlord training classes to first time homebuyers loooking to buy a home in Connecticut. These classes are offered via Zoom in English and Spanish. If looking to take an online class at your own pace, you can choose to take it via eHome at http://www.ehomeamerica.org/HDF this option has a fee of $76 when using promo code HDF24.
If applying for an HDF loan program you must take a pre-purchase homebuyer education class and the landlord training class if buying a multi-family home.
Downpayment and Closing Cost Loan Programs
We have a number of available lending products to help you with downpayment and closing costs.
In many cases, HDF clients may be eligible for more than one of our programs. See available programs below.
Review the Income Limits for SmartMove Connecticut, SmartMove New York, and our other programs.
SmartMove
CT & NY
Get up to 25% of the purchase price for downpayment and qualified closing costs at 3% interest. This loan program is for first-time homebuyers in Connecticut and New York.
SMARTMOVE CT IS TEMPORARILY PAUSED UNTIL 2027.
The SmartMove New York Program is Available.
Live Where
You Work CT
If buying your first home in the city where you work, you may be eligible for up to $25,000 for downpayment and/or closing costs at 0%. Remote work does not qualify for this program.
Other Loan
Programs
Additional loan programs for first time homebuyers may be available in specific towns and cities (amounts and terms vary).
Hartford Homeownership Equity Fund
HDF's Hartford Homeownership Equity Fund is a program designed to help first-time homebuyer households buy their first home in the Hartford area! The program offers downpayment assistance loans of up to $20,000 at 0% interest. Households must have incomes at/under 70% of the area median income.
"HDF was a pleasure to work with. They are very educated with their services and the ability to assist people achieve their
dreams of being a homeowner."
— HDF Client—
Our Banking Partners
HDF has strong partnerships with many banks in both Connecticut and New York. These relationships help us and our banking partners help you buy your first home.
Helping Families Buy Their First Home Since 1989