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Harvey HbAP 2.0: Houston disaster-recovery help for first-time buyers
HbAP 2.0 offers up to $125,000 to low-income first-time buyers who lived in the City of Houston when Hurricane Harvey hit on August 25, 2017. Applications without a pre-approval are on hold for now.
Harvey Homebuyer Assistance Program 2.0 (HbAP 2.0)
Waitlist
City of Houston
Meant for
First-time buyers who lived in City of Houston jurisdiction on Aug 25, 2017 (Hurricane Harvey)
How much
Up to $125,000 (down payment, closing costs, principal and rate reduction)
Kind of help
Loan that is forgiven over time
First-timers only?
Yes
Fine print
Low-income; disaster-recovery (CDBG-DR) rules
Applications without pre-approval are 'on hold until further notice'; processed first-come, first-served if more funding arrives.
Heads-up list. Harvey Homebuyer Assistance Program 2.0 (HbAP 2.0) is running a waitlist. Sign up and we'll tell you when fresh money arrives.
What the money covers
The city's disaster-recovery office can put up to $125,000 toward a down payment, closing costs, a principal reduction and an interest-rate reduction. It is structured as a forgivable loan. The size reflects its funding source, federal CDBG disaster-recovery money, which comes with its own rules on income, the property and how long you stay.
Who qualifies?
You must be a first-time buyer, low-income under the CDBG-DR rules, and you must have lived within City of Houston jurisdiction on August 25, 2017. That residency test is what separates HbAP 2.0 from every other Houston program; a buyer who moved to Harris County later will not qualify, no matter their income.
Where the program stands
The status is waitlist. The city says applications without a pre-approval are on hold until further notice, and if more funding arrives they will be processed first-come, first-served. Houston's regular Homebuyer Assistance Program is also closed after exhausting its funds. Meanwhile, Homes for Texas Heroes and the TDHCA programs still serve Houston buyers, and the Houston Community Land Trust is open. Whether HbAP 2.0 could be combined with a state program is something a participating lender confirms.
The program's $125,000 ceiling is far above most Texas assistance, which is why demand outran the money. Because it can reduce principal and buy down the rate as well as cover the down payment, it can change what a low-income household can afford, not just its cash to close. If you think you qualify, write down where you lived in August 2017 and gather leases, utility bills or school records from that time. Those records are the hardest part to recreate later, and the residency test is not flexible.
What to do now
If you meet the Harvey residency test, get a mortgage pre-approval and keep proof of your August 2017 address, since pre-approved files are the ones being held in line. Follow the city's HbAP page for funding news. In the meantime, check your eligibility for statewide help, and read common assistance mistakes before you sign a contract.
Harris County HFC gift funds with TDHCA · Harris County outside Houston, Baytown, Deer Park, Friendswood, La Porte, League City, Missouri City, Pasadena, Pearland
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.
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