397 of the 865 certified CDFIs whose websites we have checked describe home mortgages, and 20 describe help with a down payment or closing costs on the pages we read. 72 name first-time buyers as a group they serve: 43 credit unions, 23 loan funds and 6 banks.
Who makes CDFI mortgages
| Lender type | Describe mortgages | Verified lenders of this type | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loan funds | 62 | 416 | 15% |
| Credit unions | 196 | 265 | 74% |
| Banks or thrifts | 108 | 139 | 78% |
| Bank holding companies | 31 | 40 | 78% |
Banks and credit unions make most CDFI mortgages: 74% of verified CDFI credit unions and 78% of banks or thrifts describe one. Loan funds do far fewer, but 15 of the 20 lenders that describe down-payment help are loan funds. The CDFI Fund names this work directly: its awards enable CDFIs to finance a wide range of activities—including mortgage lending for first-time homebuyers
. [1]
How many home loans CDFIs make
Under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, 264 certified CDFIs reported 101,638 originated home loans for 2025, about $25.7 billion in total with a median of about $155,000; 39,404 were for a home purchase. That is 1.49% of the 6,827,891 home loans all HMDA filers originated that year. 96% were conventional loans; FHA (2,819), VA (914) and USDA (173) loans were a small share. The figures lean on a few large filers: the two most active CDFIs account for 20% of the total. Only 3 loan funds appear, because most are below HMDA's reporting thresholds; a lender missing from HMDA may still make home loans.
Source: FFIEC/CFPB HMDA data for 2025, snapshot frozen 2 Jun 2026, read through the CFPB HMDA Data Browser API on 3 Nov 2026. Originated loans only. Only lenders above HMDA's reporting thresholds file, so most loan funds and many small CDFIs are not in it. HMDA publishes each amount as the middle of a $10,000 band, so totals and medians are approximate. How we match lenders.
The CDFI Fund's transaction data covers award recipients of every type, loan funds included. For fiscal year 2022 it shows 68,488 home-purchase loans with a median of $156,296, and 59,142 home-improvement loans with a median of $50,000. It counts only organisations with an active award, and down-payment loans are not a separate category in the data.
Source: CDFI Fund award recipient data release, Transaction Level Report and Consumer Loan Report public files for fiscal year 2022 (released 4 Dec 2024, downloaded 3 Nov 2026). Only organisations with an active CDFI Fund award report, and the Fund masks their identity; amounts are original amounts as reported; no figure comes from fewer than 3 transactions. How we count.
Down-payment and closing-cost help
20 lenders, with the line from their own website:
| Lender | Text on the lender's site |
|---|---|
| Housing Trust Fund of Santa Barbara County (Loan fund, CA) | Our innovative Workforce Homebuyer Program provides down payment loans up to $200,000 for households with income under 80% of AMI and up to $125,000 for households income from 80% to 230% AMI./workforce-homebuyer-program |
| Housing Trust Silicon Valley (Loan fund, CA) | Housing Trust was granted funds and now administers the Reuse Funds for down payment assistance to help first-time homebuyers purchase a home./programs/homebuyer-assistance/home-acce… |
| Neighborhood Housing Services of Orange County, Inc. (Loan fund, CA) | we offer a variety of mortgage loans options that work with varying credit scores, down payment assistance programs, and all financial backgrounds/mortgage-loans |
| Neighborhood Partnership Housing Services, Inc. (Loan fund, CA) | NPHS offers a variety of mortgage financing products including FHA, conventional, VA, and multiple down payment and closing cost assistance programs./homeloans |
| Citizens Trust Bank (Bank or thrift, GA) | 1st-Time Home Buyer Down Payment Assistance Program, designed to help you achieve your dream of homeownership./loans/mortgage |
| Neighborhood Finance Corporation (Loan fund, IA) | Down Payment Assistance – up to $15,000/loan-programs-overview/home-purchase |
| NHS Lending, Inc. (Loan fund, ID) | Through grants, down payment assistance, shared equity investments, and low-cost mortgages, we work with homebuyers to provide the best housing solutions available./cole-bluff |
| Lake Superior Community Development Corp. (Loan fund, MI) | Down payment assistance for low income and moderate income households./ |
| University Financial Corp. (Bank holding company, MN) | learn more about current down payment assistance options for qualifying first-time and first-generation homebuyers/products-and-services/personal-banking/… |
| St. Louis Community Credit Union (Credit union, MO) | For first-time homebuyers, assistance programs are available for down payments and closing costs/loans/home-loan-products |
| First Federal Savings & Loan Association of Pascagoula-Moss Point (Bank or thrift, MS) | to assist first-time homebuyers who meet income requirements with up to$20,000.00in down payment assistance and closing costs./partner-programs.html |
| Renaissance Community Loan Fund, Inc. (Loan fund, MS) | HELP assists low-income qualified, first-time homebuyers with down payment assistance and closing costs./home-loans/mortgage-loans |
| Montana Homeownership Network, Inc. The (Loan fund, MT) | Loans are available for between $1,500 and $50,000 to help cover down payment and closing costs./lending/for-clients |
| New Hampshire Community Loan Fund, Inc. (Loan fund, NH) | Your Turn offers an additional $35,000 loan to cover down payment and closing costs on new Energy Star homes./loans-and-services/manufactured-home-bu… |
| Home Headquarters, Inc. (Loan fund, NY) | to help qualified, first-time buyers cover closing costs/homebuyer-lending |
| SPC Credit Union (Credit union, SC) | Down Payment Assistance loans are available to first-time homebuyers — anyone who has never owned a home or hasn't owned one in the past 3 years./home-loans |
| Affordable Housing Resources, Inc. (Loan fund, TN) | The Tennessee Downpayment Partnership helps first-time homebuyers with their downpayment or closing costs./tennessee-downpayment-partnership |
| Neighborhood Housing Services of San Antonio, Inc. (Loan fund, TX) | $12,000 in down payment and closing cost/down-payment-loans |
| Piedmont Housing Alliance (Loan fund, VA) | You may qualify for our down payment loan program if your household income is below 80% of the Area Median Income./education-and-resources/down-payment-lo… |
| Wisconsin Native Loan Fund, Inc. (Loan fund, WI) | Housing We offer comprehensive housing loans designed to help you achieve your dream of homeownership. We also offer loans for home repair, improvement, and down payment assistance. We ensure that you find the perfect l…/ |
Two kinds show up in these lines: the lender's own down-payment loan or grant, and help using a state or local program. The CFPB notes: Sometimes local non-profit or government organizations can offer you a second mortgage on special terms to replace a down payment.
[2] It also warns that borrowing your down payment would increase your overall debt and your monthly payments.
[2] Its page on special loan programs adds: Mortgage insurance is required by many state and local programs.
[3]
Loan amounts
Only 29 of the 397 mortgage lenders state an amount for the mortgage itself; the median stated maximum is $300,000 (range $5,000 to $2.5M). Ask the lender which loan programs (conventional, FHA, VA, USDA) it offers; the limit usually comes with the program.
First-time buyers
72 verified lenders name first-time homebuyers as a group they serve. The CFPB says of state, local and nonprofit homebuyer programs: Many of these programs focus on low- and moderate-income families buying their first home
. [3]
- Affordable Housing Resources, Inc. (Loan fund, TN):
The Tennessee Downpayment Partnership helps first-time homebuyers with their downpayment or closing costs.
/tennessee-downpayment-partnership - AltaOne Federal Credit Union (Credit union, CA):
Borrower(s) have not owned a property in the past 3 years.
/zero-down-home-loan - Avenir Financial Federal Credit Union (Credit union, AZ):
First-time Homebuyers Program
/loans/home-loans.html - Brewery Credit Union (Credit union, WI):
Our first-time homebuyer mortgage loans are designed to make homeownership more accessible
/loans/mortgage-loans - Buckeye State Credit Union, INC. (Credit union, OH):
First-time home buyer mortgage programs
/loans/mortgages - CASE Credit Union (Credit union, MI):
Qualified first-generation, first-time homebuyers in Michigan may be eligible for up to $20,000 in assistance
/mortgages - Cardinal Credit Union (Credit union, OH):
We take pride in helping first-time homebuyers through the process
/loans-credit-cards/home/mortgage - Champions Funding, LLC (Loan fund, AZ):
First-time homebuyers welcome
/programs - Citizens Bank (Bank or thrift, MS):
First Time Buyers Program
/lending/mortgage-loans - Citizens Trust Bank (Bank or thrift, GA):
1st-Time Home Buyer Down Payment Assistance Program, designed to help you achieve your dream of homeownership.
/loans/mortgage - Community First Fund dba Finanta (Loan fund, PA):
We also offer counseling and mortgages to first-time homebuyers in Greater Philadelphia.
/financing - Community LendingWorks (Loan fund, OR):
First-time homebuyer status for at least one person on the loan
/amplify
Other things these lenders say
- 254 of the 397 mortgage lenders link to an online application.
- 64 offer service in Spanish.
- 4 CDFIs mention ITINs in a line about mortgages or home loans (see ITIN lenders).
- 132 verified lenders describe home repair or improvement loans, and 104 finance affordable housing development.
Where they are
County pages listing a lender with down-payment help or a first-time-buyer focus:
The full list of mortgage lenders, grouped by state, is on the CDFI mortgages hub.
Questions
Do CDFIs offer mortgages?
Yes. 397 verified CDFIs describe mortgage lending on their website: 196 credit unions, 139 banks and bank holding companies, and 62 loan funds.
Which CDFIs help with a down payment?
20 lenders describe down-payment or closing-cost help on the pages we read; each is quoted on this page.
Is down-payment assistance free money?
Often not. Many programs are second loans, some with deferred or forgivable payments. The CFPB warns that borrowing a down payment raises your total debt and monthly payments.
Can I get a CDFI mortgage as a first-time buyer?
Yes. 72 lenders name first-time buyers as a group they serve.
How much can I borrow?
Few CDFIs publish a mortgage maximum; the limit usually depends on the loan program and your income. Ask the lender.
Not financial advice. CDFI Atlas is not a lender and is not affiliated with the CDFI Fund. Lender terms change: confirm with the lender.
Sources
- CDFI Fund: CDFI Certification, read 3 Nov 2026
- CFPB: Where can I get money for a down payment on a home?, read 3 Nov 2026
- CFPB: Special loan programs, read 3 Nov 2026
- FFIEC and CFPB: Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data, HMDA Data Browser, data downloaded 3 Nov 2026 (data date given where it is used)
- CDFI Fund: CDFI/NACA/CDFI RRP Program Award Recipient Data Release (Transaction Level Report and Consumer Loan Report public files), data downloaded 3 Nov 2026 (data date given where it is used)
Lender data: the CDFI Fund list of certified CDFIs as of 21 Oct 2026 and the lenders' own websites, read 29 Oct 2026–4 Nov 2026 (each lender page shows its own date). Method: About and methodology.