El Paso County · 2026

El Paso County down payment assistance programs (2026)

Buyers in Colorado Springs and the rest of El Paso County have more than one source of down payment help, and they do not all cover the same places. Here is how Pikes Peak DPA, CHFA, Colorado Roots, CHAC and the Rocky Mountain Community Land Trust compare, using each program's own current documents, and which ones reach Falcon, Monument and Fountain.

Check which programs fit you Jump to the comparison

At a glance

El Paso County down payment assistance programs compared

Program	Who runs it	Assistance	Income limit (as of)	First mortgage	First-time buyer?	Where it applies
Pikes Peak DPA (PPDPA)	El Paso County Housing Authority. Guidelines published through eHousingPlus; U.S. Bank is the master servicer.	Up to 5% of the loan amount (2%, 3%, 4% or 5%). 0% interest second mortgage: 50% forgiven over the first 5 years, the rest forgiven at 30 years. Due on sale or refinance before then.	$178,920 (FHA, VA, USDA); $92,560 (Freddie Mac HFA Advantage). Effective June 13, 2026.	FHA, VA, USDA-RD, Freddie Mac HFA Advantage. 30-year fixed. No refinances.	No	All of El Paso County, including Colorado Springs, Falcon, Monument and Fountain.
CHFA down payment assistance	Colorado Housing and Finance Authority, through CHFA Participating Lenders.	Grant up to the lesser of $25,000 or 3% of the first mortgage, or a deferred second mortgage up to the lesser of $25,000 or 4%. One or the other, not both.	Varies by household size, county, area and CHFA program. See CHFA's income limits.	Used with a CHFA first mortgage loan program.	Depends on the CHFA program	Statewide.
Colorado Roots	Impact Development Fund	Up to 10% of the purchase price, $50,000 maximum. Repayable monthly over up to 30 years at 1% (100% AMI or less) or 2% (101% to 120% AMI).	50% to 120% of HUD area median income for your household size. Guidelines revised August 2026.	Conventional or portfolio first mortgage. FHA not permitted.	Yes: first-time or first-generation buyers	In El Paso County, only the City of Colorado Springs and the City of Manitou Springs (August 2026 list).
CHAC	Colorado Housing Assistance Corporation	6% of the sales price or appraised value (whichever is less), up to $12,000. Either a 3% amortizing loan, or 0% with no payments for 5 years, then 5% for 25 years.	Varies by program, county, household size and first mortgage. 2026 limits dated June 2, 2026.	CHAC publishes limits for conventional, portfolio and FHA first mortgages.	CHAC says it serves first-time homebuyers; a first-time homebuyer class is required	Statewide.
Rocky Mountain Community Land Trust	Rocky Mountain Community Land Trust, a local nonprofit	The land trust invests at least 20% so your mortgage is 70% to 80% of the price. Not a loan you repay; the home stays affordable through a 99-year ground lease and resale to another eligible buyer.	At or below 80% AMI: $93,100 for a household of four. Updated June 18, 2026.	Conventional 30-year fixed from a lender RMCLT lists. VA not allowed.	Yes: no home owned in the last 3 years	Current funding only for homes inside Colorado Springs city limits.

Figures are as of September 2026 and come from each program's own documents, listed under Sources below. Programs change amounts, limits and service areas, sometimes without much notice. AMI means area median income. Not shown: metroDPA, which does not cover El Paso County, and Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity, whose homeownership program page says the program is being changed and asks buyers to watch for future announcements.

Which one fits

Match the program to your situation

You have owned a home before, or you are using FHA, VA or USDA

Start with Pikes Peak DPA. It has no first-time buyer requirement, works with FHA, VA, USDA and Freddie Mac HFA Advantage loans, and covers the whole county. The minimum credit score is 640, and the maximum debt-to-income ratio is 45% (50% with a 680 or higher score).

You are buying outside Colorado Springs

In Falcon, Monument, Fountain and the rest of the county outside the city, look at PPDPA, CHFA and CHAC. Colorado Roots and the land trust do not currently reach those areas.

You are a first-time or first-generation buyer in Colorado Springs and need more than 5%

Colorado Roots can provide up to 10% of the price, capped at $50,000, with a conventional or portfolio first mortgage. The trade-off: it is a loan with monthly payments at 1% or 2%, it cannot be used with FHA, and you must keep the home as your primary residence for at least five years.

Your household income is at or below 80% AMI and you want a lower payment

The Rocky Mountain Community Land Trust lowers the amount you borrow by at least 20%. In exchange, the land trust keeps the land under a ground lease and you agree to sell to another eligible buyer later.

You are a veteran using a VA loan

PPDPA accepts VA loans. The land trust says VA loans cannot be used with its homes, and Colorado Roots lists conventional or portfolio first mortgages only.

You are a teacher, first responder, healthcare worker, veteran or service member

The county advertises a Hometown Heroes incentive: an additional 1% grant on top of PPDPA for qualifying occupations, limited to the first 75 loans to close. Ask whether any remain before you count on it.

Most buyers qualify for more than one option. The strongest choice is the one that costs least over the years you plan to own the home, which depends on the first mortgage rate each program carries, not only the assistance amount.

Stacking

Can you combine programs?

Each program sets its own rules about layering, and most tie the assistance to a specific first mortgage:

PPDPA: the assistance is reserved automatically with the PPDPA program first mortgage, and the Hometown Heroes grant must be used together with that first mortgage. The PPDPA guide does not describe adding a separate assistance program.
CHFA: assistance is for buyers using a CHFA first mortgage loan program, and you can take the CHFA grant or the CHFA second mortgage, not both.
Colorado Roots: a second lien position is preferred, but the loan can sit in a more junior position with prior approval from the Colorado Division of Housing, only if the other subordinate loan comes from a nonprofit, a government entity or another DPA provider, and the combined loan-to-value stays at or below 100%.

CHAC's and the land trust's published materials do not address stacking with other programs. Treat any combination as something to confirm in writing with each program before you make an offer.

Falcon, Monument and Fountain

Countywide programs vs city-only programs

Where you buy matters as much as your income. Pikes Peak DPA covers all of El Paso County, including the City of Colorado Springs, so it reaches Falcon, Monument, Fountain and other towns and unincorporated areas. CHFA and CHAC describe their programs as statewide.

Two programs are city only. Colorado Roots' August 2026 service list includes the City of Colorado Springs and the City of Manitou Springs, but not El Paso County itself, Monument or Fountain, so unincorporated Falcon is not covered either. The Rocky Mountain Community Land Trust says its current funding is only for homes inside Colorado Springs city limits.

A Colorado Springs mailing address does not always mean a home is inside city limits, and metroDPA does not cover any part of El Paso County. We check the property's actual jurisdiction before you rely on a program.

Where we come in

How a local broker helps

Clayhouse Mortgage is an independent mortgage broker at 14045 Gleneagle Dr in Colorado Springs, and Logan Bowles is the licensed loan officer. We do not run any of these programs and we are not a lender. What we do: we can help you check eligibility and, where a program is available through the wholesale lenders we work with, originate the loan. When a program has to go through a lender on its own list, we tell you that up front.

Clayhouse Mortgage is not affiliated with El Paso County, the El Paso County Housing Authority, CHFA, Impact Development Fund, the Rocky Mountain Community Land Trust, CHAC, or any government entity.

Read the detail pages for Pikes Peak DPA, Colorado Roots and the Rocky Mountain Community Land Trust, or our statewide comparison.

Common questions

El Paso County DPA, answered

What down payment assistance is available in El Paso County, Colorado?+

The main options with current program documents are Pikes Peak DPA (PPDPA) from the El Paso County Housing Authority, CHFA down payment assistance (statewide), Colorado Roots from Impact Development Fund (City of Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs only in El Paso County), CHAC (statewide), and the Rocky Mountain Community Land Trust (homes inside Colorado Springs city limits). Each has its own income limits, loan types and rules, compared in the table on this page.

What is Pikes Peak DPA (PPDPA)?+

PPDPA is the El Paso County Housing Authority's down payment assistance program. As of September 2026 it offers up to 5% of the loan amount as a 0% interest forgivable second mortgage: half is forgiven over the first five years and the rest at 30 years. It works with FHA, VA, USDA and Freddie Mac HFA Advantage 30-year fixed loans, has no first-time buyer requirement, and does not allow refinances.

Is there down payment assistance in Falcon, Colorado?+

Yes. PPDPA covers all of El Paso County, which includes Falcon, and CHFA and CHAC describe their programs as statewide. Colorado Roots and the Rocky Mountain Community Land Trust do not currently cover Falcon: Colorado Roots lists only the City of Colorado Springs and the City of Manitou Springs within El Paso County, and the land trust says its current funding is only for homes inside Colorado Springs city limits.

Do I have to be a first-time homebuyer?+

Not for PPDPA, which states there is no first-time homebuyer requirement. Colorado Roots is for first-time or first-generation homebuyers, and the Rocky Mountain Community Land Trust requires that you have not owned a home in the last three years. CHAC describes its loans as serving first-time homebuyers. For CHFA, the rules depend on the CHFA first mortgage program you use.

Can I combine two down payment assistance programs?+

Only where the program documents allow it. CHFA says you can take its grant or its second mortgage, not both. Colorado Roots can sit behind another subordinate loan from a nonprofit, government entity or DPA provider only with prior approval from the Colorado Division of Housing and a combined loan-to-value no higher than 100%. The PPDPA guide ties its assistance to the PPDPA first mortgage and does not describe adding another program, so confirm any combination with each program before you write an offer.

What are the PPDPA income limits for 2026?+

For loan reservations starting June 13, 2026, the PPDPA maximum income is $178,920 for FHA, VA and USDA loans and $92,560 for Freddie Mac HFA Advantage conventional loans. These figures were current on the county's page as of September 2026.

Does metroDPA cover Colorado Springs or El Paso County?+

No. The metroDPA guidelines list eligible cities and counties in the Denver area and northern Front Range. El Paso County and Colorado Springs are not on that list, so metroDPA does not apply to homes here.

Is Clayhouse Mortgage part of any of these programs?+

No. Clayhouse Mortgage is an independent mortgage broker in Colorado Springs and is not affiliated with El Paso County, the El Paso County Housing Authority, CHFA, Impact Development Fund, the Rocky Mountain Community Land Trust, CHAC, or any government agency. We can help you check eligibility and, where a program is available through the wholesale lenders we work with, originate the loan.

Sources

Where these facts come from

Program facts on this page come from these documents, each reviewed on September 29, 2026. Programs change their terms; the linked documents are the authority.

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