Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Programs:
Updated August 22, 2026The Georgia Dream Homeownership Program provides affordable 30-year fixed mortgages paired with down payment assistance through participating lenders. Income and purchase-price limits vary by county and product; homebuyer education is required. Verify county limits, current product details, and participating lenders at DCA Georgia Dream.
Georgia Dream Homeownership Program:
Eligibility: First-time homebuyers (no primary residence in the past 3 years), waived when purchasing in DCA targeted areas or for certain veteran tracks; income and purchase-price limits are location- and product-specific. See DCA for county matrices and targeted-area maps.
Offerings: 30-year fixed mortgage options (FHA, VA, USDA-RD, or Conventional) paired with product-dependent down payment assistance.
Requirements:
- Income must be at or below area-specific limits (check DCA county matrix for exact household-size thresholds). DCA county matrices & lender downloads.
- Minimum middle credit score: DCA lender guidance generally requires a 640 minimum for automated underwriting findings; manual underwriting is limited to FHA/VA/USDA rules. See DCA Lender FAQs and the Seller Guide for details. DCA Lender FAQs.
- Debt-to-income (DTI): commonly evaluated around ≤45% per AUS/product; some lenders or products may allow higher ratios with strong compensating factors—confirm with your participating lender and the Seller Guide.
- Homebuyer education: HUD-approved counseling or an approved pre-purchase course is required prior to closing for most tracks.
- Liquid assets: DCA materials show a liquid asset limitation (example: no more than $20,000 or 20% of the sales price, whichever is greater, on some products). Confirm exact treatment with your lender and the DCA materials. DCA fact sheet (Georgia Dream Standard).
Down Payment Assistance (DPA) Options:
How DPA varies: DCA runs multiple Georgia Dream product tracks; DPA amounts and structure depend on the product and may differ across counties. Always confirm which Georgia Dream product is active in the subject county.
- Peach Plus (product-specific): Official Peach Plus FAQs list Standard DPA as 3.5% of the purchase price (or up to $10,000, whichever is less) and PEN/CHOICE DPA as 4% (or up to $12,500, whichever is less). Confirm product usage in your county. DCA Peach Plus FAQ.
- Georgia Dream Standard Loan (other product): A DCA Standard Loan fact sheet (effective Feb 8, 2024) shows temporarily increased DPA caps for that product (Standard 5% up to $10,000; PEN/CHOICE 6% up to $12,500). These are product- and date-specific adjustments—check the county matrix and Seller Guide to confirm which numbers apply. DCA Standard Loan fact sheet.
- Other Georgia Dream tracks: DPA structure can vary by product (check the current Seller Guide and county matrix for the active product in your county). DCA Lenders - Documents & Downloads.
- Borrower contribution: Most DCA products require a modest minimum borrower contribution (commonly $500–$1,000 or a $1,000 minimum on some tracks) or documented acceptable gift funds; verify gift-fund rules with the lender and the Seller Guide.
Local Programs (Examples):
Many cities and counties layer local assistance (forgivable or deferred seconds). Funding, maximum awards, and eligibility change locally—confirm program packets on the local pages below before advising clients.
Fulton County (Atlanta Area)
Fulton County Homeownership Program (HOP): Fulton HOP currently provides a deferred, 0% second mortgage for down payment/closing/interest buydown of up to $25,000 (based on need). HOP documents show a five-year affordability period with 20% forgiven annually if the buyer remains owner-occupant. Purchase-price caps and updated household income limits are published on the Fulton HOP page. Fulton HOP.
Savannah / Chatham County
DreamMaker Home Purchase Assistance (City of Savannah): The City of Savannah runs DreamMaker with two main tracks. Partnership-built projects may offer higher assistance (examples show up to $50,000, usually deferred with low interest), while the common DreamMaker loan track typically offers up to $30,000 (deferred, 0-2% depending on funding). See Savannah program pages and the application packet for current income and purchase price caps, credit and DTI guidance. Savannah DreamMaker. See the program packet for details. DreamMaker application packet (PDF).
Augusta-Richmond County
Augusta HCD assistance: Augusta Housing & Community Development offers deferred-payment and forgivable down payment assistance funded with HOME and related grants. The Augusta program manual shows assistance amounts from $1,000 up to a maximum of $10,000 and a five-year forgivable schedule (20% forgiven each year if the buyer remains owner-occupant). See the Augusta manual for current rules. Augusta Downpayment Assistance manual.
Additional Information:
- Purchase price limits (examples): DCA county matrices list exact maximum sales-price allowances by product and county; Peach Plus and other products may have different caps in higher-cost MSAs. Always check the DCA county limits for the property county. DCA county limits and Seller Guide.
- USDA Loans: 0% down is available in eligible rural areas via USDA Rural Development; verify property eligibility and income limits at rd.usda.gov.
- VA Loans: VA-backed loans commonly permit no down payment for eligible veterans and active-duty borrowers; confirm eligibility at VA home loans.
- FHA Loans: FHA typical minimum down payment is 3.5% for credit scores 580+ (higher down payment for lower scores). See HUD/FHA for current underwriting rules. hud.gov/fha.
Georgia programs change by product and county—always confirm the county matrix, seller guide, and local program packet with a participating lender or the DCA site before advising buyers.
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