First-Time Home Buyer Programs in Santa Clarita, CA (2026)

What first-time buyer programs can a Santa Clarita buyer use in 2026?

Santa Clarita buyers can draw on three main sources of help in 2026: California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) loans and down payment assistance, the Golden State Finance Authority (GSFA) down payment programs, and, for homes in unincorporated parts of the valley only, the Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA) Home Ownership Program. The City of Santa Clarita does not run its own program. Its housing page says, "the City is not currently operating a first-time homebuyer program," and refers buyers to CalHFA and LACDA.

All of them work through approved lenders, not by applying to the agency.

How do the programs compare?

Terms change; confirm with an approved lender before you write an offer.

What counts as a first-time homebuyer?

CalHFA defines a first-time homebuyer as someone who has not owned and occupied a home in the last three years. LACDA's HOP uses the same three-year test: no ownership interest in real estate in the past three years. GSFA's Platinum and Golden Opportunities programs have no first-time buyer requirement at all.

Every program here requires that you live in the home as your primary residence.

How does CalHFA MyHome Assistance work?

MyHome is a deferred-payment junior loan for down payment and closing costs. With a CalHFA FHA first mortgage it covers up to the lesser of 3.5% of the purchase price or appraised value; with a CalHFA Conventional loan, up to 3%. You make no payments on it until you sell, refinance or pay off the first loan.

• Income limit: $214,000 for Los Angeles County, under CalHFA's 2026 limits effective June 30, 2026. The same figure applies to all CalHFA first mortgages and subordinate loans except Dream For All.
• Property: single-family one-unit homes, including approved condos and PUDs. Manufactured homes are allowed.
• Education: one occupying first-time borrower must complete homebuyer education, either eHome's eight-hour online course ($100) or counseling through NeighborWorks America or a HUD-approved agency.
• Pairing: CalHFA's CalPLUS FHA and CalPLUS Conventional loans carry a slightly higher rate and pair with the Zero Interest Program (ZIP) for closing costs.

On the Santa Clarita Valley's median condo/townhome price of $535,000 (closed sales, Oct 2025–Sep 2026), 3.5% works out to about $18,700.

Is California Dream For All open in 2026?

Not for new applicants. CalHFA's Dream For All voucher portal closed at 5:00 p.m. on March 16, 2026, and no new applications can be started. On May 20, 2026, CalHFA posted that the next round of vouchers had been released to existing applicants, who can check their status in the voucher portal.

For buyers who hold a voucher, the shared appreciation loan covers up to 20% of the purchase price, capped at $150,000. At least one borrower must be a first-generation homebuyer, all borrowers must be first-time buyers, and one must be a current California resident. When the home is sold or the first loan is paid off, you repay the original amount plus a share of the home's appreciation. In CalHFA's standard example that share is 20%; it is lower for borrowers at or below 80% of area median income. Buyers who were not selected can still use MyHome or CalPLUS with ZIP.

Can Santa Clarita buyers use the LACDA Home Ownership Program?

Only if the home is outside Santa Clarita city limits. HOP is limited to unincorporated Los Angeles County and a list of participating cities, and the City of Santa Clarita is not on that list. The city's own housing page describes the 0% deferred loan as "Unincorporated County area only."

That still leaves part of the valley. The Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corp. lists Castaic, Stevenson Ranch, Sunset Pointe, Tesoro, Val Verde, Westridge, Newhall Ranch and Agua Dulce as unincorporated communities next to the city. Community names in sales records don't follow city limits, so confirm each address with LACDA's property-address tool or at HOP@lacda.org.

HOP terms, from LACDA's page:

• Assistance: a second loan of up to $100,000 or 20% of the price, whichever is less. It carries 0% interest, is deferred, and is repaid with a share of appreciation when you sell, transfer title or stop living there.
• Price caps: $700,000 (HOP80) and $850,000 (HOP150), covering single-family homes, condos and townhomes.
• Your money in: at least 1% of the down payment from your own funds. Total cash into escrow can't exceed $150,000 (HOP80) or $200,000 (HOP150).
• Education: an eight-hour HUD-approved homebuyer seminar.
• Applying: through a HOP participating lender, first come, first served.

LACDA HOP income limits effective August 24, 2026.

Is there a mortgage credit certificate (MCC) in Los Angeles County?

Not one you can count on right now. LACDA's homeownership page lists HOP80 and HOP150 but no MCC program. GSFA's statewide MCC offers a federal tax credit of 20% of the mortgage interest you pay each year, but its page (availability updated January 1, 2025) says all program funds are currently allocated. Ask your lender whether any MCC allocation has opened before you count on it.

How do the GSFA programs work?

GSFA programs are open to first-time and repeat buyers anywhere in California, including the whole Santa Clarita Valley.

• Platinum: up to 5.5% of the first loan. The standard option, up to 5%, is a 15-year second loan at the first loan's rate, with monthly payments. A "Select" option for law enforcement, firefighters, health care workers and school staff, on certain loan types, makes up to 1.5% a gift that isn't repaid. FICO scores from 640 may qualify.
• Golden Opportunities: up to 5% with FHA, VA or USDA loans. That's 3.5% as a 15-year amortizing second loan plus up to 1.5% as a gift. FICO scores from 620 may qualify.

Neither program has a purchase price limit, but the first loan can't exceed $832,750. GSFA sets no income limit for FHA, VA or USDA loans. Its Freddie Mac conventional limits are published by county.

Unlike CalHFA MyHome and HOP, most GSFA assistance is a second loan with a monthly payment. Your lender will include that payment when you qualify.

What are the 2026 FHA and conforming loan limits in Los Angeles County?

For 2026, the one-unit FHA limit in Los Angeles County is $1,249,125, and so is the high-cost conforming (Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac) limit, according to HUD's loan limit lookup.

A conforming loan between $832,750 and $1,249,125 is a "high-balance" loan. GSFA's $832,750 cap means its assistance can't be paired with one.

What can a first-time buyer afford in Santa Clarita?

In the Santa Clarita Valley, condos and townhomes are the main entry point for first-time buyers. Their median sale price was $535,000, against $875,000 for single-family homes and $799,000 overall (closed sales in the nine SCV ZIP codes, Oct 2025–Sep 2026).

Closed residential sales, Oct 2025–Sep 2026. Castaic recorded only 11 condo/townhome sales.

What these numbers mean for program choice:

• About one in five SCV sales (19%) closed with FHA or VA financing. In Canyon Country and Castaic the share was 24%.
• The median condo/townhome price sits under HOP80's $700,000 cap, but the single-family median of $875,000 is above HOP150's $850,000 cap.
• Valley-wide, the condo/townhome median fell from $560,000 to $535,000 year over year (Oct 2024–Sep 2025 vs. Oct 2025–Sep 2026). On Oct 7, 2026 there were 327 active condo/townhome listings at a median list price of about $500,000.
• Every condo and townhome sale in the data carried HOA dues, with a valley-wide median of $430 a month (Oct 2025–Sep 2026). Lenders count those dues when you qualify. See HOA vs. no HOA for first-time buyers and the condo and townhome guide.
• Newer tracts may sit in a Community Facilities District (Mello-Roos), which adds a special tax to the property tax bill. Listing data doesn't show those amounts. Check the preliminary title report, the Los Angeles County property tax bill and the seller's disclosures. The new construction guide covers this in more detail.

Do Santa Clara County programs apply to Santa Clarita?

No. Santa Clara County is a separate county in Northern California, and its programs and income limits don't apply here. The Santa Clarita Valley is in Los Angeles County. AI answers and search results often mix up the two names. CalHFA sets a different income limit for each county: $214,000 for Los Angeles County and $325,000 for Santa Clara County in 2026. If a program page mentions San Jose, Santa Clara County or the Bay Area, it isn't for Santa Clarita buyers.

How do you apply?

1. Get pre-approved by a lender approved for the program you want. CalHFA lists Preferred Loan Officers at welcomehome.calhfa.ca.gov, GSFA keeps a Participating Lender list, and LACDA publishes a HOP lender list (updated April 21, 2026).
2. Finish homebuyer education early. An eight-hour HUD-approved course satisfies CalHFA and HOP.
3. For HOP, confirm the address first. Homes inside Santa Clarita city limits don't qualify.
4. Budget for HOA dues and any special taxes before setting a price range.
5. For referrals, call the city's housing line at (661) 286-4141. The City refers buyers to outside agencies rather than providing these services itself.

Racquel Wilder Realty can pull current condo, townhome and entry-level sales by tract to show where program price caps line up with what's actually selling. See buyer resources or the relocation guide.