Homebuyer Down Payment Assistance Program

The Homebuyer Down Payment Assistance Program is intended as a means of stabilizing property values and overall quality of life in targeted neighborhoods throughout the County. The major objective is to increase the supply of affordable housing for low and moderate income families. The goal of this program is to help Gloucester County residents achieve their dream of homeownership.

By providing assistance with down payment and closing costs, Gloucester County enables low-income applicants to qualify for a mortgage in addition to:

  • Increase the supply of affordable housing for families for an extended period of time
  • Stabilize property values and create a balance between rental and ownership housing stock in certain neighborhoods
  • Help renters who have steady incomes but cannot make the leap to ownership because they lack the needed lump sum to cover closing and down payment costs

How to Apply

Pre-applications accepted online only. Certain exceptions apply. 

Contact the office for hard copy application 

Paper applications can be made available by contacting the office at (856) 384-6930.  

  • Click here to Register as a user on the Neighborly online portal 
  • Register by entering a valid email address and enter your name (no nicknames) and create a password  
  • Your email and password will be your credentials for future login 
  • Select the Application: First-Time Homebuyer Program 
  • Once you begin your application, you will be assigned a Case ID# and will be able to save your application and go back in to complete if you need time to collect your documents to upload. **Please note that once you submit your application, you cannot re-open for edits. 
  • Once the application submission is closed, you will be able to check the status of your application by logging in.  
  • For questions or assistance with completing your application, please email: cvelazquez@co.gloucester.nj.us

Eligible Borrowers

Any low to moderate income household that does not exceed 80% the median income adjusted for family size at the time of purchase may be considered for this program. A household is classified as all persons living in the home regardless of blood relation, marriage or other circumstance. Other eligibility criteria include:

  • Any low to moderate income household that has not owned a home in the past three years (except with issues related to health, safety and welfare of a family as reviewed on a case-by-case basis, i.e., displaced homemakers and loss of primary residence due to natural disaster).
  • Minimum 3% personal financial investment

The applicant must complete a minimum of an eight hour Housing and Urban Development (HUD) approved Home Buyer Education course. See link below to find a HUD approved counselor /agency

Eligible Properties

HOME funds may be used for one-to-four-unit properties that are previously or publicly owned. A variety of housing types are eligible, including:

  • Condominium units in a single-family or multifamily building
  • Manufactured housing on permanent foundation where a deed for the land is to be recorded 
  • Single-family (one unit) homes
  • The unit must be located within one of the 24 municipalities of Gloucester County to be eligible
    • The unit cannot exceed the maximum sales price as determined by HUD 

Assistance through this program provides 0% deferred payment loans up to $25,000 as required through underwriting that will be applied first to closing costs and the balance to down-payment assistance. A mortgage and Deed Restriction will be placed on the acquired property. The restriction on affordability is determined by subsidy provided in accordance with HUD regulations. Repayment of funds is based on the affordability period.

  • Full payment of the County funds should the household sell, transfer, refinance, obtain a reverse mortgage or utilize any vehicle to obtain cash against the equity of the property within the initial affordability period (can range from 5-10 years)
  • There is an extended period of affordability where 1/5 of the affordability subsidy will be forgiven for the next 4 year period
  • The County will require 1/5 repayment should the owner transfer, sell, refinance obtain a reverse mortgage or utilize any vehicle to obtain cash against the equity of the property.

Contact Us

Further explanation of these criteria are outlined in the application and policy manual. You must contact the office prior to executing a sales agreement to ensure availability of funds and reasonable time for review in order to align with an anticipated settlement date. Failure to communicate with this office may impact required processing time to accommodate your closing date.

Informational Resources & Application Form