Down payment assistance
FHLBank Des Moines Native American Homeownership Initiative (NAHI)
By Tyler Thompson · NC-Licensed Real Estate Agent · Updated November 2, 2026
About the FHLBank Des Moines Native American Homeownership Initiative (NAHI)
The FHLBank Des Moines Native American Homeownership Initiative (NAHI) is a $25,000 down payment and closing cost grant for Native American, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian buyers, delivered through member banks and credit unions. It has no first-time buyer rule. The grant is forgiven pro rata over a five-year deed restriction or tribal land lease addendum, and FHLBank Des Moines set aside $1,000,000 for NAHI in 2026.
To qualify for NAHI, at least one buyer must be an enrolled member of a federally recognized tribe or a member or shareholder of an Alaska Native village or regional corporation formed under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. Native Hawaiians qualify with Department of Hawaiian Home Lands approval for a homestead lease. Household income must be at or below 80% of area median income under HUD limits effective May 1, 2026 or NAHASDA limits effective June 11, 2026. The home must be a primary residence inside the FHLBank Des Moines district: Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming and three Pacific territories. A buyer on the mortgage completes homebuyer education before closing. The location rule is stricter than Home$tart's: every NAHI purchase must sit inside the district, on or off tribal land.
The grant needs an amortizing first mortgage of at least five years, and the price must fit the state limit, $624,491 in Juneau and $566,354 in most Alaska areas. On tribal land, a lease addendum replaces the deed restriction. Selling or refinancing within five years returns a pro rata share. FHLBank Des Moines Home$tart, by contrast, pays $15,000 and requires a first-time buyer, and the two grants cannot be combined.
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How much assistance
Eligibility
- Income limits: At or below 80% of area median income for the purchase location, adjusted for household size (HUD limits effective May 1, 2026, or NAHASDA limits effective June 11, 2026).
- First-time buyer required: No
- Geographic restrictions: Native American, Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian households: enrolled member of a federally recognized tribe, member or shareholder of an Alaska Native village or regional corporation, or Native Hawaiian approved by DHHL. Owner-occupied primary residence anywhere in the FHLBank Des Moines district (Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands), on or off tribal land; 2-4 unit buildings with one unit owner-occupied allowed. Apply through a participating member lender; members limited to $150,000 a year. Cannot be combined with Home$tart.
- Homebuyer education required: Yes
How to Apply for FHLBank Des Moines Native American Homeownership Initiative (NAHI)
Step 1: Gather proof of tribal or corporation membership
The lender must send FHLBank Des Moines evidence of one buyer's status. That means enrollment in a federally recognized tribe, membership or shares in an Alaska Native village or regional corporation, or eligibility as a Native Hawaiian. Native Hawaiians need approval from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to qualify for a homestead lease. Get the enrollment card, shareholder record or DHHL approval early, since the lender's reimbursement depends on it.
Step 2: Check income against HUD or NAHASDA limits
Household income, counting every adult who will live in the home, must be at or below 80% of area median income for the purchase location. Native households can qualify under the HUD limits effective May 1, 2026 or the NAHASDA limits effective June 11, 2026, published by HUD's Office of Native American Programs. Both are linked from the Income Limits and Purchase Price Limits page at fhlbdm.com.
Step 3: Find a member lender enrolled in NAHI
FHLBank Des Moines does not accept applications from buyers, so start with its Participating Members list at fhlbdm.com/products-services/affordable-housing/nahi/. Each member can reserve $150,000 of NAHI in 2026, which is six $25,000 grants, so ask the lender how many it has left. A member may also act as a pass-through for a governmental or nonprofit lender that writes the mortgage.
Step 4: Complete homebuyer education before closing
FHLBank Des Moines' 2026 plan requires at least one household member on the mortgage to finish a homebuyer education course before closing, even though NAHI has no first-time buyer rule. The course must cover homeownership and avoiding predatory lending and meet national industry standards, and online classes qualify. The grant can repay $250 of course cost, or $450 for counseling longer than eight hours.
Step 5: Sign a contract and reserve the grant
Once you have a signed purchase agreement, the lender reserves NAHI through DP Online ahead of the loan closing. On October 1, 2026, FHLBank Des Moines released $150,000, the year's last quarterly NAHI round, and reservations are first come, first served. The 2026 round closes December 31, 2026, and unused NAHI money moves to Home$tart, so check availability early.
Step 6: Close and record the deed restriction
The lender advances $25,000 at closing, and FHLBank Des Moines reimburses it after a disbursement request filed within 120 days of reservation approval. Off tribal land you sign a recorded deed restriction; on tribal land, a lease addendum goes with the tribal land lease. Either one forgives the grant pro rata over 60 months, and cash back at closing is capped at $250.
Real Cost Example
Juneau's median home price is $449,300, under the $624,491 single-family limit FHLBank Des Moines lists for the City and Borough of Juneau. With 5% down, the buyer needs $22,465, and the $25,000 NAHI grant covers it with $2,535 left over for closing costs. Stay 60 months and nothing is repaid, while selling after 24 months would return up to $15,000.
Estimated closing costs in Juneau run $9,000 to $13,500, so after the $2,535 the buyer still needs $6,465 to $10,965 in cash. A seller credit or family gift can cover part of that. Because NAHI caps cash back at $250, any seller credit should match the real closing costs rather than exceed them.
Juneau is inside the service area of ACDC's Home Opportunity Program, which pays up to $3,000 of closing costs within a 0% loan for buyers below 80% of the regional median, $102,950 for four people in Juneau. NAHI may layer with other down payment products, so with ACDC's approval the help could reach $28,000 on this Juneau purchase.
Combining With Other Programs
FHLBank Des Moines' 2026 overview lets NAHI layer with other down payment products in any recording position. In Alaska that includes ACDC's Home Opportunity Program, up to $30,000 at 0% with $10,000 forgiven over five years, outside the Municipality of Anchorage. In Wyoming, Welcome Home Wyoming adds a 3% or 4% forgivable second in 17 counties with its own first mortgage. Down payment help from FHLBank Des Moines' MPF Xtra 3D product is also allowed.
NAHI cannot be combined with Home$tart or any other FHLBank down payment program, or with a competitive Affordable Housing Program award, so a first-time Native buyer chooses the $25,000 NAHI grant or the $15,000 Home$tart grant. A HELOC cannot sit behind it. Lender questions about reservations and disbursements go to dponline@fhlbdm.com, and the bank's main number is 800-544-3452.
NAHI also works with a community land trust and with a mortgage passed through a governmental or nonprofit lender, which widens the first mortgage options on tribal land. Closing costs a household pays before closing can be reimbursed with receipts if FHLBank Des Moines approves them, and a seller credit can cover the rest.
Pros and Cons
NAHI's strength is size and flexibility: $25,000 anywhere in the district, against $15,000 for Home$tart outside Hawaii, with no interest, no payment and no first-time buyer rule. It works on or off tribal land, with community land trusts and on two- to four-unit buildings where the buyer lives in one unit. Five years in the home erases the grant, and any early repayment is capped at net proceeds minus the buyer's own investment. Every household gets the same $25,000, whatever the price.
The biggest limitation is the small pool: $1,000,000 for all of 2026, with only $150,000 in the October round, enough for six grants district-wide. Each member is limited to $150,000, and funds are reserved only after a signed purchase agreement. Income is capped at 80% of area median, the home must be inside the 13-state district, and selling within five years repays part of the grant. Alternatives include Home$tart's $15,000 grant for first-time buyers and Alaska's HOP loan of up to $30,000.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible for the FHLBank Des Moines NAHI grant?+−
Does NAHI serve the whole FHLBank Des Moines district?+−
How much is the NAHI grant and does it have to be repaid?+−
Do I need to be a first-time homebuyer for NAHI?+−
Is NAHI funding still available in 2026?+−
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Sources
Last verified November 2, 2026.
- FHLBank Des Moines: Native American Homeownership Initiative
- FHLBank Des Moines: 2026 AHP Implementation Plan (PDF)
- FHLBank Des Moines: Down Payment Products 2026 Program Overview (PDF)
- FHLBank Des Moines: Down Payment Product Guide
- FHLBank Des Moines: Income Limits and Purchase Price Limits
- FHLBank Des Moines: Alaska Maximum Purchase Price Limits (PDF)
- FHLBank Des Moines: NAHI homebuyer flyer (PDF)
- FHLBank Des Moines: Who We Are
- Alaska Community Development Corporation: Home Opportunity Program
- Alaska Community Development Corporation: HOP 80% income limits (PDF)
- eHousingPlus: Welcome Home Wyoming Administrator's Guidelines (PDF)