See programs you qualify for

By Tyler Thompson · Licensed Real Estate Agent · Updated April 7, 2026

Homebuyer Programs in Fort Smith, AR (2026)

Population: 89,770 | Median home price: $195,000 | Est. closing costs: $4,000 - $6,000

Fort Smith, the second-largest city in Arkansas and the seat of Sebastian County, sits along the Oklahoma border with a median home price around $195,000 — one of the most affordable markets in the state. Homebuyers here benefit from some of the strongest local assistance programs in Arkansas through the Crawford-Sebastian Community Development Council (CSCDC). The Fort Smith Homebuyers Assistance Program offers up to $10,000 as a forgivable loan, the CSCDC HOME Subsidy provides up to $25,000 toward new home purchases, and the Affordable Housing Program offers a $4,000 grant for first-time buyers. The Southern Bancorp Wealth Builders program adds up to $12,000 in forgivable assistance. At the state level, ADFA provides $1,000 to $15,000 in down payment assistance and the ADDI program offers up to $10,000 as a forgivable loan. By stacking local and state programs, qualified buyers could access over $35,000 in combined assistance toward a home in Fort Smith.

City Programs in Fort Smith

Program Name	Type	Amount	First-Time Only	Details
CSCDC Affordable Housing Program Grant	Grant	$4,000 grant for down payment and closing costs	Yes	View →
CSCDC HOME Subsidy Program	Forgivable Loan	Up to $25,000 HOME subsidy for purchase price reduction on new homes	No	View →
Fort Smith Homebuyers Assistance Program	Forgivable Loan	Up to $10,000 as a forgivable loan for down payment and closing costs	No	View →

CSCDC Affordable Housing Program Grant

Type:: Grant
Amount:: $4,000 grant for down payment and closing costs
First-time only:: Yes

CSCDC HOME Subsidy Program

Type:: Forgivable Loan
Amount:: Up to $25,000 HOME subsidy for purchase price reduction on new homes
First-time only:: No

Fort Smith Homebuyers Assistance Program

Type:: Forgivable Loan
Amount:: Up to $10,000 as a forgivable loan for down payment and closing costs
First-time only:: No

County Programs in Sebastian County

Program Name	Type	Amount	First-Time Only	Details
CSCDC American Dream Downpayment Initiative (ADDI)	Forgivable Loan	Up to $10,000 (10% of purchase price, whichever is less)	Yes	View →

CSCDC American Dream Downpayment Initiative (ADDI)

Type:: Forgivable Loan
Amount:: Up to $10,000 (10% of purchase price, whichever is less)
First-time only:: Yes

State Programs in Arkansas

Program Name	Type	Amount	First-Time Only	Details
ADFA Down Payment Assistance Program	Repayable Loan	$1,000 to $15,000 for down payment and closing costs	No	View →
ADFA Move-Up Loan Program	Zero-Interest Loan	Affordable 30-year fixed-rate mortgage with competitive interest rates	No	View →
ADFA StartSmart First-Time Homebuyer Program	Zero-Interest Loan	Below-market interest rate (approximately 1% below market rate) on a 30-year fixed mortgage	Yes	View →
Arkansas Dream Down Payment Initiative (ADDI)	Forgivable Loan	Up to 10% of the sale price, not to exceed $10,000	Yes	View →

ADFA Down Payment Assistance Program

Type:: Repayable Loan
Amount:: $1,000 to $15,000 for down payment and closing costs
First-time only:: No

ADFA Move-Up Loan Program

Type:: Zero-Interest Loan
Amount:: Affordable 30-year fixed-rate mortgage with competitive interest rates
First-time only:: No

ADFA StartSmart First-Time Homebuyer Program

Type:: Zero-Interest Loan
Amount:: Below-market interest rate (approximately 1% below market rate) on a 30-year fixed mortgage
First-time only:: Yes

Arkansas Dream Down Payment Initiative (ADDI)

Type:: Forgivable Loan
Amount:: Up to 10% of the sale price, not to exceed $10,000
First-time only:: Yes

Federal Programs

Program Name	Type	Amount	First-Time Only	Details
FHA Loans	Government-Insured Mortgage	Up to FHA county loan limits ($541,287 floor to $1,249,125 ceiling for single-family in 2026)	No	View →
Good Neighbor Next Door (HUD)	Government Property Sale Program	50% discount off the list price of HUD-owned homes	Yes	View →
Home Possible Mortgage (Freddie Mac)	Government-Guaranteed Mortgage	Up to conforming loan limits ($832,750 standard / $1,249,125 high-cost in 2026); 3% minimum down payment	No	View →
HomeReady Mortgage (Fannie Mae)	Government-Guaranteed Mortgage	Up to conforming loan limits ($832,750 standard / $1,249,125 high-cost in 2026); 3% minimum down payment	No	View →
HUD $100 Down Program	FHA-Financed HUD REO Purchase	Only $100 down payment required (vs. standard 3.5% FHA down payment). HUD may also pay up to 3% of buyer's closing costs.	No	View →
USDA Rural Development Loans	Government-Guaranteed Mortgage	100% financing (no down payment required); loan amount up to appraised value	No	View →
VA Loans	Government-Guaranteed Mortgage	No loan limit for veterans with full entitlement (0% down at any price); partial entitlement subject to conforming limits ($832,750 standard in 2026)	No	View →

FHA Loans

Type:: Government-Insured Mortgage
Amount:: Up to FHA county loan limits ($541,287 floor to $1,249,125 ceiling for single-family in 2026)
First-time only:: No

Good Neighbor Next Door (HUD)

Type:: Government Property Sale Program
Amount:: 50% discount off the list price of HUD-owned homes
First-time only:: Yes

Home Possible Mortgage (Freddie Mac)

Type:: Government-Guaranteed Mortgage
Amount:: Up to conforming loan limits ($832,750 standard / $1,249,125 high-cost in 2026); 3% minimum down payment
First-time only:: No

HomeReady Mortgage (Fannie Mae)

Type:: Government-Guaranteed Mortgage
Amount:: Up to conforming loan limits ($832,750 standard / $1,249,125 high-cost in 2026); 3% minimum down payment
First-time only:: No

HUD $100 Down Program

Type:: FHA-Financed HUD REO Purchase
Amount:: Only $100 down payment required (vs. standard 3.5% FHA down payment). HUD may also pay up to 3% of buyer's closing costs.
First-time only:: No

USDA Rural Development Loans

Type:: Government-Guaranteed Mortgage
Amount:: 100% financing (no down payment required); loan amount up to appraised value
First-time only:: No

VA Loans

Type:: Government-Guaranteed Mortgage
Amount:: No loan limit for veterans with full entitlement (0% down at any price); partial entitlement subject to conforming limits ($832,750 standard in 2026)
First-time only:: No

Nonprofit Programs

Program Name	Type	Amount	First-Time Only	Details
Arkansas Valley Habitat for Humanity Homeownership Program	Zero-Interest Loan	Affordable home purchase with zero-interest, 15- to 30-year mortgage	Yes	View →
Southern Bancorp Wealth Builders DPA Program	Forgivable Loan	Up to $12,000	No	View →

Arkansas Valley Habitat for Humanity Homeownership Program

Type:: Zero-Interest Loan
Amount:: Affordable home purchase with zero-interest, 15- to 30-year mortgage
First-time only:: Yes

Southern Bancorp Wealth Builders DPA Program

Type:: Forgivable Loan
Amount:: Up to $12,000
First-time only:: No

Free eligibility check

17 programs available in Fort Smith. See which ones you qualify for.

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How to Apply

Step 1: Check your eligibility. Most Fort Smith assistance programs require household income at or below 80% of the area median income. You must be certified as income eligible by CSCDC using the HUD Income Calculator. The ADFA Move-Up loan allows income up to $142,000.

Step 2: Complete homebuyer education. Contact the Crawford-Sebastian Community Development Council at 479-785-2303 to enroll in their Homebuyer Education class. All CSCDC programs require this class plus one-on-one pre-purchase budget counseling. The ADDI program requires 8 hours of counseling.

Step 3: Contact CSCDC to apply for local programs. They administer the Fort Smith Homebuyers Assistance Program (up to $10,000), the HOME Subsidy (up to $25,000 for new homes), and the Affordable Housing Program ($4,000 grant for first-time buyers). A single application may qualify you for multiple programs.

Step 4: Get pre-approved for a mortgage. You must use an approved lender for CSCDC programs. For state programs, work with an ADFA-approved lender who can package the StartSmart or Move-Up first mortgage with $1,000 to $15,000 in DPA.

Step 5: Find a home within Fort Smith city limits. The property must pass an environmental review and a City of Fort Smith Minimum Housing Standards Inspection at no cost to the buyer or seller. The ADFA StartSmart program has a $500,000 purchase price limit.

Step 6: Submit your applications and budget $500 for out-of-pocket costs required by the Fort Smith Homebuyers Assistance Program. Work with your CSCDC counselor and lender to finalize all program applications before closing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much down payment assistance can I get in Fort Smith?+

Fort Smith buyers can access some of the strongest local assistance in Arkansas. The Fort Smith Homebuyers Assistance Program offers up to $10,000 as a forgivable loan. The CSCDC HOME Subsidy provides up to $25,000 toward new home purchases. The Affordable Housing Program offers a $4,000 grant for first-time buyers or single parents. The Southern Bancorp Wealth Builders program provides up to $12,000 in forgivable assistance. At the state level, ADFA DPA offers $1,000 to $15,000 and ADDI provides up to $10,000 as a forgivable loan. Not all programs can be combined, so work with a CSCDC counselor to find the best combination.

Do I have to be a first-time homebuyer to get assistance in Fort Smith?+

Not for all programs. The Fort Smith Homebuyers Assistance Program (up to $10,000) and the CSCDC HOME Subsidy (up to $25,000) do not require first-time buyer status. The CSCDC Affordable Housing Program ($4,000 grant) does require first-time buyer status or being a single parent with dependents. The ADFA Move-Up Loan also has no first-time buyer requirement. ADFA StartSmart and ADDI require first-time buyer status, defined as not having owned a home in the past 3 years.

What is the maximum home price I can pay using these programs?+

The ADFA StartSmart program has a purchase price limit of $500,000. The ADFA Move-Up program follows the Arkansas conventional conforming loan limit. CSCDC programs do not publish a strict price cap, but you must meet income eligibility and the property must pass the City of Fort Smith housing inspection. With Fort Smith median home prices around $195,000, most homes in the area fall well within program limits.

What homebuyer education is required?+

All CSCDC programs require you to attend their Homebuyer Education class and participate in one-on-one pre-purchase budget counseling. Contact CSCDC at 479-785-2303 to enroll. The ADDI program specifically requires 8 hours of counseling. Southern Bancorp Community Partners also offers HUD-approved homebuyer education as part of their Wealth Builders program.

What makes Fort Smith unique for homebuyer assistance?+

Fort Smith has one of the most comprehensive local assistance packages in Arkansas. The Crawford-Sebastian Community Development Council administers multiple programs funded by City of Fort Smith HOME funds. The combination of up to $10,000 in forgivable DPA, up to $25,000 in HOME subsidies for new homes, and a $4,000 outright grant gives Fort Smith buyers more local assistance options than most Arkansas cities. Additionally, the city covers the cost of housing inspections on assisted properties, and both first-time and repeat buyers can qualify for the larger programs.