See programs you qualify for

By Tyler Thompson · Licensed Real Estate Agent · Updated April 15, 2026

Homebuyer Programs in Naperville, IL (2026)

Population: 150,817 | Median home price: $570,000 | Est. closing costs: ,500 - ,000

Naperville is one of Chicagoland's premier suburbs, straddling DuPage and Will Counties, with a median home price near 0,000 as of 2026 — substantially higher than the Illinois statewide average. Naperville does not run its own city-level down payment assistance program, but buyers here have strong state and nonprofit options. Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) programs include IHDAccess Home (up to ,000 in 0% deferred assistance), Access Forgivable (up to ,000 forgiven over 10 years), Access Deferred (up to ,500), Access Repayable (up to ,000), Opening Doors (,000 forgivable after 5 years), and the IHDA Mortgage Credit Certificate delivering a 25% annual federal tax credit on mortgage interest. FHLBank Chicago Downpayment Plus provides up to ,000 in forgivable grants through participating lenders. The DuPage Homeownership Center (HOME DuPage) administers the DuPage Homestead Program, offering reduced-interest first mortgages paired with an interest-free second mortgage for first-time buyers in Naperville (note: the Homestead ,000 closing grant is specifically not available for Naperville purchases). DuPage Habitat for Humanity serves the Naperville area with its affordable homeownership track, and HOME DuPage is DuPage's only continuously HUD-approved housing counseling agency.

State Programs in Illinois

Program Name	Type	Amount	First-Time Only	Details
FHLBank Chicago Downpayment Plus (DPP)	Grant	Up to $10,000 forgivable grant (lesser of $10,000 or 25% of the first mortgage amount)	No	View →
IHDA Access Deferred	Deferred Loan	—	Yes	View →
IHDA Access Forgivable	Forgivable Loan	—	Yes	View →
IHDA Access Repayable	Zero-Interest Loan	—	Yes	View →
IHDA Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC)	Tax Credit	—	Yes	View →
IHDA SmartBuy	Forgivable Loan	—	Yes	View →
IHDAccess Home	Deferred Loan	—	Yes	View →
Opening Doors / Abriendo Puertas	Forgivable Loan	—	Yes	View →

FHLBank Chicago Downpayment Plus (DPP)

Type:: Grant
Amount:: Up to $10,000 forgivable grant (lesser of $10,000 or 25% of the first mortgage amount)
First-time only:: No

IHDA Access Deferred

Type:: Deferred Loan
First-time only:: Yes

IHDA Access Forgivable

Type:: Forgivable Loan
First-time only:: Yes

IHDA Access Repayable

Type:: Zero-Interest Loan
First-time only:: Yes

IHDA Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC)

Type:: Tax Credit
First-time only:: Yes

IHDA SmartBuy

Type:: Forgivable Loan
First-time only:: Yes

IHDAccess Home

Type:: Deferred Loan
First-time only:: Yes

Opening Doors / Abriendo Puertas

Type:: Forgivable Loan
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
DuPage and Chicago South Suburbs Habitat for Humanity	Zero-Interest Loan	Below-market home with 0% interest Habitat mortgage	No	View →
DuPage Homestead Program	Silent Second Mortgage	Reduced-interest first mortgage plus an interest-free second mortgage	Yes	View →
HOME DuPage Housing Counseling	Grant	HUD-approved pre-purchase counseling, homebuyer education, financial coaching, and foreclosure prevention	No	View →

DuPage and Chicago South Suburbs Habitat for Humanity

Type:: Zero-Interest Loan
Amount:: Below-market home with 0% interest Habitat mortgage
First-time only:: No

DuPage Homestead Program

Type:: Silent Second Mortgage
Amount:: Reduced-interest first mortgage plus an interest-free second mortgage
First-time only:: Yes

HOME DuPage Housing Counseling

Type:: Grant
Amount:: HUD-approved pre-purchase counseling, homebuyer education, financial coaching, and foreclosure prevention
First-time only:: No

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18 programs available in Naperville. See which ones you qualify for.

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How to Apply

Step 1: Check your eligibility. With Naperville's high median price, confirm your household income fits within DuPage/Will County IHDA limits (which are relatively generous) and that you meet the 640 IHDA credit score minimum or 660 DuPage Homestead minimum.

Step 2: Complete homebuyer education. Start with a Gateway to Homeownership Orientation or homebuyer education class through HOME DuPage (the county's HUD-approved counseling agency). IHDA also accepts eHome America and Framework online courses.

Step 3: Contact HOME DuPage. HOME DuPage administers the DuPage Homestead Program and provides free counseling, financial coaching, and pre-purchase education.

Step 4: Get pre-approved with an IHDA-approved lender. IHDA's statewide network of 160+ lenders participates in IHDAccess Home, Access products, Opening Doors, and the MCC. For Downpayment Plus, choose a participating FHLBank Chicago member bank or credit union.

Step 5: Find a home within program limits. Homestead requires the home to be in DuPage County (but not Aurora or Bolingbrook), single-family or attached (no multifamily), and to pass a DuPage County Housing Quality Standards inspection. IHDA follows federal purchase price limits for DuPage/Will County.

Step 6: Reserve your assistance funds. DPA is reserved by your lender after pre-approval and before contract on a first-come, first-served basis.

Step 7: Close on your home. DPA and second mortgages are applied at closing. Confirm lien filings and final numbers with your lender and closing attorney before signing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much down payment assistance can I get in Naperville?+

Since Naperville has no city DPA, buyers rely on state and nonprofit options. An eligible first-time buyer can layer IHDAccess Home (up to ,000) with FHLBank Chicago Downpayment Plus (up to ,000) through a participating lender, typically yielding ,000-,000 in stacked direct assistance. The DuPage Homestead Program can add a reduced-interest first mortgage plus an interest-free second mortgage, which is particularly valuable given Naperville's higher home prices. The IHDA Mortgage Credit Certificate provides an additional 25% annual federal tax credit on mortgage interest.

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

Yes for IHDAccess Home, IHDA Access products, Opening Doors, IHDA MCC, and the DuPage Homestead Program. First-time buyer means you haven't owned a principal residence in the past 3 years. FHLBank Chicago Downpayment Plus accepts both first-time and repeat buyers. The 3-year rule is waived in federal Targeted Areas for IHDA and MCC products.

What is the maximum home price in Naperville?+

IHDA programs follow federal purchase price limits for DuPage and Will Counties, which are set annually and are generous enough to cover many Naperville homes, though the 0,000+ median may push the high end for some buyers. The DuPage Homestead Program has its own purchase price cap that is updated periodically — contact HOME DuPage for the current Naperville cap. Habitat homes are priced below market by design.

Is the DuPage Homestead Program available in Naperville?+

Yes, but with one important caveat. The Homestead Program's reduced-interest first mortgage and interest-free second mortgage are available for Naperville purchases. However, the Homestead ,000 closing grant component is specifically NOT available for purchases in Naperville. That grant is reserved for other DuPage communities. The rest of the program still works for Naperville buyers.

Does Naperville have its own city DPA program?+

No. Unlike Chicago, Joliet, or Aurora, Naperville does not operate its own municipal down payment assistance program. Naperville buyers combine state (IHDA), regional (FHLBank Chicago Downpayment Plus, DuPage Homestead), and nonprofit (DuPage Habitat, HOME DuPage) resources instead.

What homebuyer education is required?+

HOME DuPage is the county's HUD-approved housing counseling agency and the primary education provider for the DuPage Homestead Program. Their Gateway to Homeownership Orientation is the starting point for Homestead applicants. IHDA also accepts online courses through eHome America and Framework.

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