Harris County Beryl/Derecho Homebuyer Assistance Program
Taking applicationsHarris County
- Meant for
- Households affected by Hurricane Beryl / the May 2024 derecho
- How much
- Up to 45% of the home price (price reduction, down payment, closing costs, rate buydown)
- Kind of help
- Loan that is forgiven over time
- Income cap
- 80% AMI (~$83,200 for a family of 4, May 2026)
- Fine print
- 620 min credit; lender prequalification; 8-hour HUD homebuyer class for each applicant; 39% housing / 42% total DTI caps; US citizen or permanent resident
Pre-application online. Disaster-recovery program, so storm impact is required.
Fact-checked November 2026 · our sources
Could I get this? →How the assistance works
Harris County Community Development runs this through its Single-Family Housing Development Program. The help is a forgivable loan and can be split across a price reduction, the down payment, closing costs and an interest-rate buydown, up to 45% of the home price in total. Because it is disaster-recovery money, storm impact is the entry ticket.
Who qualifies?
Your household must have been affected by Hurricane Beryl or the May 2024 derecho, with income up to 80% of area median income, about $83,200 for a family of four as of May 2026. Other rules: a 620 minimum credit score, a lender prequalification, an 8-hour HUD homebuyer class for every applicant, a 39% housing ratio and 42% total debt-to-income cap, and U.S. citizenship or permanent residency.
Why it matters now
The county's regular Down Payment Assistance Program has reached capacity and is closed to buyers who were not storm-affected, and Houston's city program is out of funds. That makes this the main county-run option in Harris County today, but only for storm-affected households. Whether it can be combined with TSAHC or TDHCA help is not stated; a participating lender confirms whether they combine.
A 45% ceiling is unusually large. On a home priced at $250,000, as a round example, that could mean up to $112,500 split between a lower price, the down payment, closing costs and a rate buydown. The 39% and 42% ratio caps still apply after the help is counted, so the county is looking for a payment the household can carry. Every applicant, not just one, must take the 8-hour class, which differs from TSAHC's rule that only one borrower needs education.
How to apply
Complete the county's online pre-application, get prequalified by a lender, and sign up every applicant for the 8-hour class early, since that is often the slowest step. Keep documents that show how the storm affected you. See the credit score guide if you are near 620, and check your eligibility for the statewide programs.
County guides for the area it serves: Harris County.
Reader questions on Harris County Beryl/Derecho Homebuyer Assistance Program
Who can use the Harris County Beryl/Derecho program?
Households affected by Hurricane Beryl or the May 2024 derecho with income up to 80% of area median income.
How much can I get?
Up to 45% of the home price, toward a price reduction, down payment, closing costs and a rate buydown.
Is the regular Harris County DAP open?
It has reached maximum capacity and is closed to buyers who were not affected by the storms.
See if this one fits me
Programs worth comparing
Summed up from the program's official page as of November 2026. Money and rules change; check current terms with the program or a lender that takes part. Texas Down Payment Assistance has no tie to this program.
