First Home Homeownership Program

The First Home Homeownership Program was created in 2022 and has since provided affordable homeownership opportunities to first-time, low- and moderate-income homebuyers in Washington County. Objectives of the program have been met by two models of assistance, downpayment assistance to be utilized for direct purchase of a home by clients of the program, and permanent affordability through community land trust purchasing of properties, increasing the supply of homes to initial and successive homebuyers. The First Home program is funded by the Housing Production Opportunity Fund.

Over the first 2 application cycles which occurred in 2022 and 2024, $3,900,000 has been distributed to organizations utilization First Home funding. The make-up of households who have been assisted with this funding varied greatly, from young single parents of one child, couples nearing retirement age, to large families of five or more. Households with incomes between 35% and 99% of the Area Median Income have been assisted. This broad cross section of the Washington County population illustrates the need for downpayment assistance to build access to homeownership for low- and moderate-income individuals and families throughout the community. Homeowners purchasing with First Home Downpayment Assistance also attend homebuyer education classes to help prepare them for the homebuying process.

An additional funding cycle of $1.2 million will be awarded to organizations at the end of 2025.

Washington County Partners with local organizations to provide downpayment assistance to first time home buyers, and permanent affordability through programs utilizing a land trust model. For more information on assistance availability and eligibility requirements, contact one of the below organizations:

Proud Ground (Washington County Downpayment Assistance Grant - Proud Ground)

West Tuality Habitat for Humanity (West Tuality Habitat for Humanity)

Habitat for Humanity Portland Region (Homeownership - Habitat Portland Region)

Portland Housing Center (Down Payment Assistance - Portland Housing Center)

For more detailed information about the outcomes of the First Home program funding cycles, see the full 2025 Program Report here.