San Antonio Homeownership Incentive Program

The San Antonio Homeownership Incentive Program is administered by the San Antonio Department of Neighborhood and Housing Services. The program supports homeownership among low-to-moderate income homebuyers, encourages the development of new housing, and helps maintain the housing and rental stock in San Antonio.

There are two options for down payment assistance offered through this program: HIP 80 and HIP 120. Each option has a different income limit, assistance amount, and forgiveness criteria.

San Antonio Homeownership Incentive Program: HIP 80

If you are a low-income homebuyer, HIP 80 offers a fully forgivable loan to help you make a larger down payment. The loan can be forgiven after five or ten years, depending on the amount of assistance money you receive. 

To have your loan fully forgiven, you must live in the home without selling, renting, or refinancing for the entire forgiveness period, which is either five or ten years depending on how much money you receive. You must also consistently make your mortgage payments on time during this period. 

Find out if you may qualify.

How much assistance can you get?

The San Antonio Homeownership Incentive Program: HIP 80 offers up to $30,000 in down payment assistance.

Does the assistance have to be paid back?

This loan is fully forgivable, which means you won’t have to pay any of the down payment assistance money back if you meet the forgiveness criteria outlined above—living in the home without selling, renting, or refinancing for the entire forgiveness period and making your monthly mortgage payments on time. 

If you receive a loan for between $1,000 and $15,000, the loan is eligible for forgiveness after five years. If your loan is between $15,001 and $30,000, the loan is eligible for forgiveness after 10 years. 

What is the purchase price limit?

The purchase price limit for the HIP 80 program is $244,000 for existing homes and $257,000 for newly constructed homes.

How much do you need to contribute?

To get assistance through HIP 80, you must contribute $500 to your home purchase. You need to be able to make the $500 contribution at the time of application. The money is applied to your down payment when the sale closes.

What are the criteria to qualify?

To qualify for the San Antonio Homeownership Incentive Program: HIP 80, you must meet these eligibility criteria:

1. You must be a first-time homebuyer or have not owned a home within the past three years.
2. The home you’re purchasing must be within San Antonio city limits.
3. Your income must be at or below 80% of the area median income (AMI). The AMI is currently between $49,150 and $92,700, depending on household size.

Note that the San Antonio Department of Neighborhood and Housing Services regularly reviews program income limits. While these figures were accurate at publication, they will change over time. Use our free down payment assistance finder to check if you may qualify. 

San Antonio Homeownership Incentive Program: HIP 120

The San Antonio Homeownership Incentive Program: HIP 120 is an option for moderate-income households. The assistance comes in the form of a partially forgivable loan. 

Find out if you may qualify.

How much assistance can you get?

San Antonio Homeownership Incentive Program: HIP 120 offers up to $15,000 in down payment assistance.

Does the assistance have to be paid back?

The loan offered by HIP 120 is forgivable up to 75%. 

75% of the loan can be fully forgiven after 10 years, meaning you don’t have to pay back any of the money as long as you meet the forgiveness criteria: living in the home without selling, renting, or refinancing, and consistently paying your mortgage on time during the forgiveness period.

The remaining 25% of the loan is persistent, meaning you will have to repay it. However, you only have to pay it when you sell the home or refinance your initial mortgage loan. Prior to that, you don’t need to make any payments on the assistance loan and it accrues no interest. 

What is the purchase price limit?

The purchase price limit for the HIP 120 for existing homes is $283,200, and the purchase price limit for newly constructed homes is $301,200.

How much do you need to contribute?

The San Antonio Homeownership Incentive Program: HIP 120 requires that you contribute $500 toward the purchase of your home. You must make this contribution when you apply for the program. Your contribution is applied to your down payment when the sale closes.

What are the criteria to qualify?

To qualify for the San Antonio Homeownership Incentive Program: HIP 120, you must meet these eligibility criteria:

1. You must be a first-time homebuyer or have not owned a home within the past three years.
2. The home you’re purchasing must be within the San Antonio city limits.
3. Your income must be at or below 120% of the area median income (AMI). This is currently between $73,750 and $139,100, depending on household size.

The San Antonio Department of Neighborhood and Housing Services regularly reviews program income limits. While these figures were accurate at publication, they will change over time. Use our free down payment assistance finder to check if you may qualify. 

Choosing between San Antonio Homeownership Incentive Program HIP 80 and HIP 120

The main deciding factor between these two programs is the income limit. The HIP 120 has a higher income limit than the HIP 80 program. If your income is too high to qualify for HIP 80, you may be able to get down payment assistance through HIP 120 instead.

However, there is some overlap in the income ranges for each of these options. So it’s worth checking to see if you qualify for HIP 80 first, as this option offers more assistance and 100% forgiveness.

How to apply for down payment assistance through the San Antonio Homeownership Incentive Program

To get help with your down payment through the San Antonio Homeownership Incentive Program, you need to apply through an approved and participating lender. You can find a lender and see if you’re eligible for down payment assistance with our free down payment assistance finder.