IRHA Tribal Equity Advantage Mortgage (TEAM) Grant

By Tyler Thompson · NC-Licensed Real Estate Agent · Updated November 2, 2026

Administered by:

Interior Regional Housing Authority (IRHA), Housing Department

· Nonprofit · Grant

Funding status: Active

About the IRHA Tribal Equity Advantage Mortgage (TEAM) Grant

The IRHA Tribal Equity Advantage Mortgage (TEAM) Grant pays up to 20% of the purchase price toward the down payment and closing costs for Alaska Native and American Indian buyers. Interior Regional Housing Authority's Housing Department in Fairbanks runs it on homes valued up to $300,000, so the largest possible grant is $60,000. AHFC lists IRHA as the down payment assistance provider for the Fairbanks area, and TEAM funds go first come, first served.

Every household member must document Alaska Native or American Indian status with tribal enrollment papers or a Certificate of Indian Blood card. Household income must be at or below HUD's income limit. IRHA posts 2026 HUD figures for the State of Alaska with a $120,300 median family income: an 80% level of $67,368 for one person and $96,240 for four, and a 100% level of $120,300 for four. IRHA's page does not say which level TEAM uses, so confirm it. IRHA states no first-time buyer rule and no credit score minimum. The stricter rule is property type: single-family homes, townhouses and condos qualify, while duplexes and four-plexes do not. Buyers must also pay all of the required earnest money themselves.

IRHA publishes no repayment, residency or recapture terms for TEAM, so ask what happens if you sell or refinance before you sign. The application checklist asks for an Alaska State Troopers criminal history for each adult and an AHFC homebuyer certificate. TEAM can reach $60,000, more than double FHLBank Des Moines' $25,000 NAHI grant, and unlike Cook Inlet Lending Center's second mortgage of up to $75,000, it carries no monthly payment.

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How much assistance

Grant of up to 20% of the purchase price for down payment and closing costs, on homes valued up to $300,000 (maximum $60,000)

Eligibility

Income limits: Household income at or below HUD income limits. IRHA posts 2026 HUD limits for the State of Alaska (median family income $120,300): 80% of median $67,368 (1 person) to $96,240 (4 people); the program page does not say which percentage TEAM uses.
Purchase price limit: $300,000
First-time buyer required: No
Geographic restrictions: Fairbanks area. Alaska Native or American Indian households (Certificate of Indian Blood or tribal enrollment for every household member). Single-family homes, townhouses and condos only; duplexes and other multi-unit or rental properties are not eligible. Buyer pays 100% of the required earnest money. Apply with a mortgage pre-approval (approved loan letter) and a complete TEAM application to the IRHA Housing Department. First come, first served.

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How to Apply for IRHA Tribal Equity Advantage Mortgage (TEAM) Grant

Step 1: Gather tribal documents for every member

Collect tribal enrollment documents or a Certificate of Indian Blood card for every person in the household, not just the buyers; the Bureau of Indian Affairs office issues CIB cards. Then compare total household income with the 2026 HUD limits IRHA posts at irha.org/hud-income-limits, where the 80% level for four people is $96,240. Call IRHA at 907-452-8315 to confirm which level TEAM uses.

Step 2: Get a lender pre-approval letter

Meet a mortgage lender before you apply, because IRHA requires an approved loan letter with the TEAM application. Ask for a pre-approval on a home valued at $300,000 or less, the program's cap. If you plan to use an AHFC loan, ask the lender about AHFC's AHELP option, which lists IRHA as the Fairbanks-area assistance provider and requires an approved homebuyer education class.

Step 3: Complete the IRHA application packet

Fill out the IRHA Program Assistance Application, revised May 2025, completely, because IRHA does not accept incomplete applications. Attach pay stubs for the last two pay periods, three years of federal tax returns, prior-month bank statements, photo ID for each adult, proof of Native corporation dividends, and an Alaska State Troopers criminal history for everyone 18 and older. Missing documents must arrive within 30 days.

Step 4: Take the homebuyer education course

IRHA's application checklist lists an Alaska Housing Finance Corporation homebuyer certificate, and AHELP requires an approved class for at least one borrower. Complete the course early and keep the certificate for both IRHA and your lender. Ask IRHA at 907-452-8315 or 800-478-4742 whether TEAM itself requires it, since the program page does not say.

Step 5: Submit to the Housing Department in Fairbanks

Bring the pre-approval letter and the complete TEAM application to IRHA's Housing Department at 828 27th Avenue, Fairbanks, AK 99701. The office is open Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Because grant funds go first come, first served, the date your complete packet arrives matters, so submit it as soon as the lender letter is in hand.

Step 6: Make an offer within TEAM's rules

Shop for a single-family home, townhouse or condo valued at $300,000 or less; duplexes, four-plexes and other multi-unit rentals are not eligible. Pay the full earnest money deposit from your own funds, as TEAM requires. Ask IRHA and your lender to confirm the grant amount before closing, and get any repayment or occupancy terms in writing.

Real Cost Example

On a $260,000 Fairbanks house, just under the $268,400 local median in our city data, TEAM's 20% limit works out to $52,000. That could cover a 5% down payment of $13,000 with plenty left for closing costs, or a down payment as large as $44,000 with $8,000 of closing costs paid from the rest. Either way the home stays under TEAM's $300,000 value cap.

Estimated closing costs in the Fairbanks area run $5,500 to $8,000. With a 5% down payment and $7,000 of closing costs, the grant need on this house is $20,000. The one cost TEAM never covers is the earnest money deposit: the buyer pays 100% of it, say $2,500, from personal funds. Ask the lender whether that deposit is credited toward the down payment at closing.

A Native household at or below 80% of area median income could also look at FHLBank Des Moines' $25,000 NAHI grant, which the bank lets layer with other down payment products. IRHA publishes no rule on combining TEAM with other help, so confirm first. If both approved it on the $260,000 house, $25,000 from NAHI and $27,000 from TEAM would make $52,000.

Combining With Other Programs

TEAM fits AHFC's Affordable Housing Enhanced Loan Option (AHELP), which lets an Alaska Housing loan carry a grant or second from an approved regional housing authority, and AHFC lists IRHA as the Fairbanks-area provider. FHLBank Des Moines' NAHI grant of $25,000 may be layered with other down payment products in any recording position, for Native American, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian households at or below 80% of area median income.

IRHA does not publish whether TEAM can be combined with other grants or seconds. TEAM pays only down payment and closing costs, and the earnest money must be the buyer's own, so a second program cannot replace that deposit. Call IRHA at 907-452-8315 or 800-478-4742, Monday through Thursday, before you apply to another program, and tell your lender about every source.

Native buyers who need a larger amount or want a home above $300,000 can look at Cook Inlet Lending Center's repayable second mortgage of up to $75,000, usable anywhere in Alaska when one borrower is Native. A seller credit toward closing costs, and gift funds where the first mortgage allows them, also reduce cash at closing.

Pros and Cons

TEAM's biggest strength is that it is a grant, not a loan, of up to 20% of the price. At the $300,000 cap that is $60,000, more than double FHLBank Des Moines' $25,000 NAHI grant, and it carries no monthly payment, unlike Cook Inlet Lending Center's second mortgage of up to $75,000. IRHA states no first-time buyer rule and no credit score minimum of its own, and the Fairbanks median of $268,400 in our city data sits under the price cap.

The biggest limitation is eligibility: every household member must document Alaska Native or American Indian status. IRHA publishes no retention or recapture terms, no fund balance and no statement of which HUD income level applies, so key terms come only from a call. Funds go first come, first served, duplexes are excluded, the buyer pays all earnest money, and the packet needs criminal histories for every adult. Buyers above the price cap can look at Cook Inlet Lending Center's loan, and Native households under 80% of median can ask about NAHI.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who qualifies for the IRHA TEAM grant?+

Only Alaska Native and American Indian households qualify, with tribal enrollment documents or a Certificate of Indian Blood card for every household member. Income must be at or below HUD's limit; IRHA's posted 2026 State of Alaska figures put the 80% level at $96,240 for four people. The buyer needs a lender's approved loan letter, must pay all of the earnest money, and must buy a single-family home, townhouse or condo valued up to $300,000.

How much is the IRHA TEAM grant?+

Up to 20% of the purchase price, for down payment and closing costs. Because the home must be valued at $300,000 or less, the most any buyer could receive is $60,000. On a $268,400 home, the Fairbanks median in our city data, 20% is $53,680. Grant funds go first come, first served, so the award also depends on the money IRHA has when you apply. Call 907-452-8315 to confirm your amount.

Does the TEAM grant have to be paid back?+

No repayment terms are published. IRHA's program page and its May 2025 application describe TEAM as grant funding and list no lien, occupancy period or recapture if you sell. That does not rule out terms set at closing, so ask IRHA at 907-452-8315 or 800-478-4742 for any grant agreement before you sign it. By contrast, FHLBank Des Moines grants carry a five-year deed restriction and are forgiven pro rata over 60 months.

Can I use the TEAM grant on a duplex in Fairbanks?+

No. TEAM covers single-family homes, townhouses and condos only. IRHA's program page says multi-unit rentals such as duplexes and four-plexes are not eligible, and its application repeats that duplexes cannot be purchased. A Native household that wants a building of up to four units with one unit owner-occupied could look at FHLBank Des Moines' $25,000 NAHI grant, which allows that property type for households at or below 80% of area median income.

Do I need to be a first-time buyer for the IRHA TEAM grant?+

No. IRHA's TEAM rules state no first-time homebuyer requirement, and the program page names no credit score minimum either. Your first mortgage may set its own rules, and FHLBank Des Moines' $15,000 Home$tart grant is only for first-time buyers if you hope to add it. The lender's approved loan letter is the real gate: IRHA's Housing Department at 828 27th Avenue in Fairbanks will not take a TEAM application without it.

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