If you're buying in the southwest suburbs and don't have 20% sitting in the bank, you're not alone, and you're not stuck. Illinois and Will County both run their own down payment assistance programs, and some lenders stack their own money on top of that.
None of it is automatic and none of it is guaranteed. Every program below has its own rules, its own funding limits, and its own way of disappearing the moment the money runs out. Here's what's actually out there right now, and what to watch for.
Last updated: October 2026. Program terms, funding levels and dollar amounts change throughout the year. Always confirm current details with a lender before you plan around any of it.
None of This Is Guaranteed Money
Every program on this page draws from a limited pool of funds. When that pool runs dry for the year, the program can pause, tighten its rules, or raise its rate until the next funding cycle opens up. "Available" today doesn't mean available by the time you're ready to close.
The only way to know where a program actually stands right now is to ask a lender directly. Treat everything below as a starting point for that conversation, not a locked-in benefit.
Illinois Statewide: IHDAccess
The Illinois Housing Development Authority runs the state's main down payment program, usually called IHDAccess. It isn't something you apply for on its own. It gets paired with your mortgage through a participating lender, and it comes in three tiers.
Forgivable
Forgiven in monthly increments over 10 years as long as you stay in the home. You never pay it back if you don't move or refinance during that window.
Deferred
Interest-free. You don't owe a payment on it until you sell, refinance, or pay off the mortgage entirely.
Repayable
Interest-free, but paid back monthly over 10 years alongside your mortgage payment.
All three generally require a credit score of at least 640, a minimum of your own money in the deal (usually $1,000 or 1% of the price, whichever is more), and financing through FHA, VA, USDA, or a conventional HFA Preferred loan. Income and purchase price limits apply and vary by where the home is located, so a lender has to run your specific numbers to know which tier, if any, you qualify for.
Will County Down Payment Assistance
Separate from the state program, Will County runs its own assistance through its HOME Consortium, covering Will County, parts of Kendall County, and the Bolingbrook portion of DuPage County.
How It Works
- Up to $25,000 toward your down payment, closing costs, or financing gap
- Structured as a second mortgage at 0% interest with no monthly payment
- Forgiven once you've lived in the home as your primary residence through the required affordability period
- You need to bring roughly $2,500 of your own money to the deal
- Purchase price caps apply, and they differ for existing homes versus new construction
- You generally need to be a first-time buyer, or not have owned a home in the past three years
This one is genuinely first-come, first-served. When the county's funding for the year is open, there can still be a waiting line. When it's not, the program effectively pauses until the next cycle. Nobody, including your lender, can promise you a spot. The only way to know is to ask.
What Your Lender Might Offer on Top of This
Beyond the state and county programs, individual mortgage lenders sometimes run their own down payment assistance. These come and go even faster than the government programs, and they're specific to whichever lender you end up using, not something available everywhere.
As one example: I currently work with a lender who offers a handful of these, including something they call Smart Start, a Zero Down option, and a solar-specific down payment program for buyers interested in going solar at the same time they buy. The details and dollar amounts on programs like these shift often enough that listing exact numbers here would likely be wrong within a few months.
Want to Know What's Currently Available?
Reach out and I can point you toward what's currently on the table through the lenders I work with, and we can figure out together whether any of it actually fits your situation.
Ask About Down Payment OptionsDown Payment Assistance FAQ
Do I have to be a first-time buyer to use any of this?
Depends on the program. Will County generally requires first-time buyer status, or that you haven't owned a home in the past three years. IHDAccess considers first-time buyer status but repeat buyers can qualify too. Lender-specific programs vary, some are first-time-buyer only, some aren't.
Can I combine IHDA, Will County, and a lender program together?
Sometimes, but not always, and it depends on the specific combination and your loan type. Stacking multiple sources of assistance is common, but each program has its own rules about what it can and can't be paired with. A lender needs to check this for your specific situation rather than assuming it'll work.
Does taking down payment assistance affect my interest rate?
Sometimes. Assistance programs are occasionally paired with a slightly higher rate than you'd get putting down your own cash, especially on the higher-assistance tiers. It's worth asking your lender to show you the rate difference side by side so you can see if the trade-off still makes sense for your situation.
What happens if a program runs out of funding before I close?
You lose access to it, and your deal needs another plan for the down payment, whether that's a different assistance program, a gift, or your own funds. This is exactly why timing matters. The earlier you start the conversation with a lender, the more runway you have if your first choice falls through.