Virginia Housing DPA & CCA Grants: Money You Never Repay
Virginia Housing's grants are the cleanest help there is: the DPA Grant toward your down payment and the CCA Grant toward closing costs, both true grants you never pay back. Here is how they work.
The DPA Grant
The Down Payment Assistance Grant is exactly what it sounds like: a grant that goes toward your down payment, as a percentage of the sales price. It is not a loan. Nothing gets recorded as a second mortgage, there is no monthly payment, and you never repay it. For a first-time buyer whose main barrier is the down payment, that is the most valuable kind of help, because it does not add to your debt or your monthly cost. The exact percentage is published on the Virginia Housing site; confirm the current amount before you plan.
The CCA Grant (closing costs)
The Closing Cost Assistance Grant is the companion. It puts money toward your closing costs and prepaid items, and it is offered with government loans, FHA, VA, and USDA. Like the DPA Grant, it is a true grant you never repay. Closing costs are the cash that surprises a lot of first-time buyers, so a grant that covers them can be the difference between closing and coming up short. Pair a CCA Grant with a VA loan and you can buy with very little cash, see our DPA + VA page.
The catch: lower income limits
There is one thing to know. Because the grants are the most generous help, money you never repay, they carry lower income limits than Virginia Housing’s loan programs. So a buyer whose income is a bit high for the grant may still qualify for the Plus Second Mortgage or the loan on its own. It is worth checking both against your income, which we do up front. If a grant does not fit, the Plus Second Mortgage often does.
Verified August 2026 against Virginia Housing materials. Grant amounts and income limits are volatile, confirm current figures at virginiahousing.com. This is not a commitment to lend.
Common questions
Are Virginia Housing's DPA and CCA Grants really grants?
Yes. The DPA Grant (toward the down payment) and the CCA Grant (toward closing costs on FHA, VA, and USDA loans) are true grants: no second loan, no monthly payment, and nothing to repay. The amounts are a percentage of the sales price, published at virginiahousing.com.
What is the difference between the DPA Grant and the CCA Grant?
The DPA Grant goes toward your down payment; the CCA Grant goes toward your closing costs and is offered with FHA, VA, and USDA loans. Both are true grants you never repay. Many buyers use them together.
Do the Virginia grants have lower income limits?
Yes. Because the grants are money you never repay, they carry lower income limits than Virginia Housing's loan programs. If your income is too high for a grant, you may still qualify for the Plus Second Mortgage or the loan itself.
See if a Virginia grant fits you
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