Youngstown, OH · city desk

Down payment assistance in Youngstown, OH

The City's At Home in Youngstown program has ended, with all funds spent, so Youngstown buyers now rely on statewide programs.

Is At Home in Youngstown still taking applications?

No. The City of Youngstown's own website labels the program "All Program Funds Expended," and local TV news reported it ran out of money. At Home in Youngstown was a $5 million program paid for with federal ARPA dollars and run by City Community Development. For single-family homes and condos in the city, it offered up to $10,000 in forgivable down payment help plus up to $25,000 for repairs and energy upgrades, with $500 of earnest money and counseling through Catholic Charities. Unless the City announces new funding, plan your purchase without it.

No Mahoning County program turned up either, so the working options are statewide. Ohio Heroes is the main one for local workers: a Youngstown City Schools teacher, a Youngstown Police or Fire Department employee, a nurse or a veteran can get OHFA's discounted 30-year fixed rate plus assistance of 3% (conventional) or 3.5% (FHA, VA, USDA) of the price, forgiven after seven years. It requires a 640 credit score and homebuyer education. In Mahoning County the OHFA income limits are $98,800 for 1 to 2 people and $113,620 for 3 or more, and the non-target price cap is $566,355, which leaves plenty of room in this market.

Two other statewide grants can fill the gap left by the City program. Communities First pays 3%, 4% or 5% of the loan through participating lenders, is open, and has no first-time buyer requirement. The FHLB Cincinnati Welcome Home grant goes up to $20,000 for buyers at or under 80% of the county's bond income limit, but you need $500 of your own money and a member lender, and the 2026 round opened April 6 and may be spent. The Mahoning County guide and the program finder sort out which apply to you.

Run by the city of Youngstown

At Home in Youngstown

Closed

City of Youngstown

For: Buyers of single-family homes or condos in Youngstown
Amount: Up to $10,000 DPA (+ up to $25,000 for repairs/energy upgrades)
Form: Forgivable loan
Fine print: $500 earnest money; counseling via Catholic Charities

$5M ARPA program. The City website slide is titled 'At Home in Youngstown - All Program Funds Expended', and WKBN reported it was out of money. Treat as ended; do not promote.

Checked November 2026 · our sourcing

Check if I qualify →

Programs that work anywhere in the state

A home in Youngstown also qualifies for 3 statewide programs, Ohio Heroes among them. The full Ohio list · the program matcher

County page: Mahoning County

Homebuyer classes near Mahoning County

Plan on a homebuyer class. Nearly every assistance program makes you take one before closing. These HUD-approved agencies near Mahoning County teach the class or offer one-on-one counseling before you buy:

Agency	City	Miles	Services	Languages	How it is taught
Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp.	Youngstown	7 mi	Buyer class / Pre-buy advice	English	By phone
Community Building Partnership of Stark County, Inc.	Canton	34 mi	Buyer class / Pre-buy advice	English	In person / By phone / Online
East Akron Neighborhood Development Corp.	Akron	37 mi	Buyer class / Pre-buy advice	English	In person / By phone
Fair Housing Contact Service	Akron	39 mi	Pre-buy advice	English	By phone
Mustard Seed Development Center	Akron	42 mi	Buyer class / Pre-buy advice	Arabic / Chinese / English / French / Hindi / Korean / Portuguese / Russian / Spanish / Vietnamese	In person / By phone / Online

From HUD's list of approved housing counseling agencies. A class one program accepts may not count for another.

Which class counts? Ask the loan officer before you sign up. Lenders who handle Ohio programs know which course is required, and they can get your pre-approval moving while you study. Start the eligibility check

Questions from Youngstown readers

Is At Home in Youngstown still available?

No. The City lists all program funds as expended, and the program should be treated as ended unless new funding is announced.

What did At Home in Youngstown offer?

Up to $10,000 in forgivable down payment help plus up to $25,000 for repairs or energy upgrades, funded by a $5 million ARPA allocation.

What can Youngstown buyers use now?

Statewide programs: OHFA down payment assistance and Ohio Heroes, the Communities First grant, and the FHLB Cincinnati Welcome Home grant while funds last.