TDHCA (Texas Housing Trust Fund) through certified nonprofits and Colonia Self-Help Centers

Texas Bootstrap Loan Program: 0% loans for owner-builders

Bootstrap lends households earning up to 80% of area median family income as much as $45,000 at 0% interest for up to 30 years, in exchange for doing most of the construction work themselves.

Texas Bootstrap Loan Program

Money can run out

TDHCA (Texas Housing Trust Fund) through certified nonprofits and Colonia Self-Help Centers

Meant for: Owner-builders with income at or below 80% AMFI who provide at least 65% of the construction labor
How much: Up to $45,000 per household at 0% for up to 30 years
Kind of help: Loan with a monthly payment
Income cap: 80% AMFI

New construction or rehab through a local administrator. Not available everywhere in Texas; find providers through TDHCA Help for Texans.

Fact-checked November 2026 · our sources

Could I get this? →

Heads-up list. Texas Bootstrap Loan Program lives on a limited pot that can run dry. Sign up and we'll tell you when a new round is funded.

How the loan works

This is not classic down payment assistance. It is a repayable, zero-interest loan for building a new home or rehabilitating one, paid back in monthly installments over as long as 30 years. The cap is $45,000 per household. Funding comes from TDHCA's Texas Housing Trust Fund, and it is handed out through certified nonprofit owner-builder organizations and Colonia Self-Help Centers, so money depends on what each administrator has been awarded.

Who qualifies?

Household income must be at or below 80% of area median family income. The defining rule is sweat equity: you must provide at least 65% of the labor to build or rehab the home, usually under the administrator's supervision. That makes it a fit for families who have time, some skills and a local group to work with, rather than for buyers shopping existing homes.

How it compares with other Texas programs

TSAHC and TDHCA assistance attaches to a mortgage on a home you buy, while Bootstrap finances one you help build. Whether a Bootstrap loan can be paired with other help is not stated; the local administrator confirms what can be layered. If you are buying an existing home instead, the assistance types guide covers grants and forgivable loans.

Expect a longer timeline than a standard purchase, since the home is built or rehabbed with your labor through a local administrator. Because the loan is 0% over up to 30 years, the monthly payment on $45,000 is low, but it is a real payment, unlike the deferred liens in most down payment programs. Income must stay at or below 80% of AMFI when you apply, and administrators can have waiting lists when Housing Trust Fund awards are used up.

Since the program is funding-dependent, ask each administrator how many households it can serve this cycle and how long its list is before you commit to a build.

Finding a provider

Bootstrap is not offered everywhere in Texas. Look up participating nonprofits and Colonia Self-Help Centers through TDHCA's Help for Texans search, then contact one serving your area about waiting lists and build schedules. Browse county pages for other local options, or check your eligibility for the statewide programs.

Reader questions on Texas Bootstrap Loan Program

How much can I get from Texas Bootstrap?

Up to $45,000 per household, at 0% interest for up to 30 years.

Do I have to build the house myself?

You must provide at least 65% of the construction labor.

Is the Bootstrap loan forgiven?

No. It is a repayable loan with monthly payments, though it carries no interest.

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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.