CHFA in Denver
A CHFA loan in Denver is a regular first mortgage made by a CHFA-participating lender, with the option to add CHFA down payment assistance. CHFA, the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority, has its main office in Denver, but it does not lend to you directly. What changes for a Denver buyer is the set of income and purchase price limits that apply in Denver County, and the fact that the city sponsors a second program, metroDPA. This page walks through both, using figures we read on the official sources on October 2, 2026.
The short version
CHFA says it "does not lend money directly to consumers" and uses approved lenders to qualify customers and make the mortgage loans. You apply with a CHFA-participating lender, or with a broker who works with one, not at the CHFA office on Blake Street.
The same CHFA programs are offered across Colorado. What is specific to Denver is the row of the CHFA limit table that applies to Denver County, which is shown below.
CHFA offers a down payment assistance grant or a second mortgage loan alongside its first mortgage programs. You can use one or the other, not both, and you can also put more of your own money down.
New to how CHFA is structured? Start with our plain-English guide to CHFA loans in Colorado, then come back here for the Denver details.
Denver County numbers
| CHFA programs | Denver County income limit | Purchase price limit |
|---|---|---|
| CHFA SmartStep, CHFA SectionEight, CHFA Preferred, Colorado HFA1, CHFA HomeAccess, CHFA Schools To Home | $178,920, regardless of household size or area | None listed. The total loan amount is capped by CHFA and by the loan type. |
| CHFA FirstStep and CHFA FirstGeneration, non targeted area | $144,000 for a 1 to 2 person household; $165,600 for 3 or more | $832,750 |
| CHFA FirstStep and CHFA FirstGeneration, targeted area | $172,800 for a 1 to 2 person household; $201,600 for 3 or more | $832,750 |
| CHFA Preferred Very Low Income Program | $72,000, regardless of household size or area | None listed. The total loan amount is capped by CHFA and by the loan type. |
Two details matter when you read that table. First, the programs do not all count income the same way. For the first and last rows CHFA uses qualifying income, meaning the income your lender uses to qualify you. For CHFA FirstStep and CHFA FirstGeneration it uses gross annual income for all loan applicants and certain other household members. Second, CHFA marks some areas as targeted, and the higher limits apply only there. Your lender can confirm which column a specific Denver address falls under.
Buying just outside the city? On the same table, Adams, Arapahoe and Jefferson counties show the same figures as Denver. Other counties differ, so look up the county where the home sits, not the county where you live now. Our guide to how CHFA income limits work explains the moving parts.
Qualifying
That is the general CHFA requirement as of October 2026. CHFA notes there may be exceptions for borrowers with no credit score, and your lender applies its own underwriting guidelines on top.
The limit depends on the program, the county, your household size, and whether the home is in a targeted area. See the Denver County table above.
Each borrower completes a class before closing and gets their own certificate. CHFA lists in-person classes as free and the online, self-paced class at $75. Certificates are valid for 12 months, so take it early but not too early.
CHFA requires a minimum borrower financial contribution of at least $1,000 toward the purchase. CHFA says gifts from family members or other eligible sources may be used to meet it.
Meeting these does not mean the loan is approved. CHFA does not qualify homebuyers; the participating lender does. For the fuller checklist see CHFA loan requirements.
Down payment help
There is a cost to weigh. CHFA states plainly that higher interest rates apply when you take the assistance. Whether the help up front is worth that trade depends on how long you expect to keep the loan, how much cash you have, and what you would otherwise qualify for. That is a comparison to run with real numbers for your situation, not something a web page can settle. Our page on CHFA down payment assistance goes deeper, and CHFA pros and cons covers the trade-offs.
Two CHFA programs are aimed at specific buyers. CHFA FirstGeneration offers $25,000 in down payment assistance to a first-generation homebuyer, which CHFA defines as a borrower who has never owned a home and whose parents or guardians never owned a home during the homebuyer's lifetime. CHFA Schools To Home is for full-time employees of Colorado preK-12 public schools. It pairs a first mortgage with a second mortgage of up to 25% of the first mortgage amount, and in exchange the borrower shares a percentage of the home's appreciation. Each has its own rules on chfainfo.com.
Denver's own program
According to the city's metroDPA page, read on October 2, 2026, the assistance is a percentage of the first mortgage amount in the form of a 30-year deferred second mortgage with no scheduled payments, repaid when you sell the home or refinance the first mortgage. You must use a metroDPA-approved lender, and the first mortgage may be an FHA, VA, USDA or conventional loan. The program's own site says there is no first-time homebuyer requirement and that homebuyer education is required.
metroDPA has income and credit score limits. We are not printing them here because the city's page and the program's site showed different figures on the day we checked. Read the current numbers at metro-dpa.com or on denvergov.org, and ask a metroDPA-approved lender which applies to you. For a side-by-side view of the state's programs, see Colorado down payment assistance programs, compared.
Getting started
CHFA says its programs are available through a statewide network of more than 100 participating lenders, and it keeps a searchable list on its site. You can work with a participating lender directly or with a broker who places loans with one.
Have your lender compare your income to the Denver County limit for the program you are considering, and check the price range against the purchase price limit if one applies. It is easier to do this before you fall for a listing.
Finish the homebuyer education class, gather your income and asset documents, and apply. The lender handles the CHFA side of the file, including any assistance, through closing.
Where do we fit? Clayhouse Mortgage is an independent, family-run broker in Colorado Springs that offers CHFA's programs as a broker working with CHFA-participating lenders. CHFA programs are statewide, and we help buyers anywhere in Colorado, but our home base is the Pikes Peak region. If you would rather work with someone local to the Springs, see our CHFA lender in Colorado Springs page. We will also tell you if a straightforward low-down loan, such as FHA without the CHFA layer, looks like the simpler path.
Common questions
CHFA programs are statewide, so a home in Denver can be financed with one if you and the loan meet the program rules. CHFA lists a mid credit score of 620 or higher, income within its limits, a CHFA-approved homebuyer education class, and a minimum borrower contribution of at least $1,000 among its general requirements, as of October 2026. Your lender also has to approve you under its own underwriting guidelines.
It depends on the program. On CHFA's income limit table effective June 15, 2026, Denver County shows $178,920 for programs including CHFA SmartStep, CHFA Preferred and CHFA HomeAccess, regardless of household size. CHFA FirstStep and CHFA FirstGeneration show $144,000 for a one or two person household and $165,600 for three or more in a non targeted area. CHFA updates these figures, so confirm the current table at chfainfo.com.
For CHFA FirstStep and CHFA FirstGeneration, the Denver County purchase price limit on CHFA's table effective June 15, 2026 is $832,750. For the other programs on that table CHFA lists no purchase price limit, but the total loan amount is capped by CHFA and by the loan type.
No. CHFA's main office is in Denver, but CHFA says it does not lend money directly to consumers. It uses approved lenders to qualify customers and make the mortgage loans.
No. metroDPA is a separate program sponsored by the City and County of Denver, with its own approved lenders and its own income and credit limits. CHFA is a statewide housing finance authority. A lender can help you compare what each one would look like for your situation.
CHFA programs are statewide, and we help buyers anywhere in Colorado, but our home base is the Pikes Peak region. We are an independent mortgage broker that offers CHFA's programs through CHFA-participating lenders. We are not CHFA or a government agency.
Keep exploring
The plain-English guide to how CHFA programs are put together in Colorado.
Learn moreHow the income and price limits that drive eligibility actually work.
Learn moreCHFA, CHAC, metroDPA and more, side by side in plain English.
Learn moreSources, all read October 2, 2026: CHFA How to Get a CHFA Loan, Down Payment Assistance, Income Limits (table effective June 15, 2026), Homebuyer Education, Homeownership FAQs, CHFA FirstGeneration and CHFA Schools To Home; City and County of Denver, metroDPA; metro-dpa.com.
This page is general education, not a commitment to lend, financial advice, or a guarantee of program eligibility, assistance amount, rate, or term. CHFA program rules, income limits, and assistance are set by the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority and change over time; confirm current details at chfainfo.com. metroDPA is sponsored by the City and County of Denver, which sets its terms. Clayhouse Mortgage is not affiliated with CHFA, metroDPA, or the City and County of Denver. All loans subject to credit approval; not all applicants will qualify.
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