CALIFORNIA — Expanded grant and down-payment assistance programs are being rolled out to support California’s law enforcement officers and firefighters as housing costs remain high statewide.
Next Door Programs, the organization behind the Officer Next Door and Firefighter Next Door initiatives, announced expanded home-buying support in 2026 – $9,000 in grants and up to $24,000 in down-payment assistance.
Previously, the programs offered up to about $8,000 in grants and roughly $15,000 in down‑payment assistance to eligible buyers.
Next Door Programs national director Steve Parks said the increases are designed to help bridge the gap between today’s housing costs and responsible homeownership.
According to the California Association of Realtors’ 2026 housing market forecast, the statewide median home price is expected to reach approximately $905,000 this year.
At that price, buyers may need to put down roughly $180,000 to $225,000 upfront to secure a mortgage and avoid private mortgage insurance.
Aid can be used to purchase any home on the market
Officer Next Door and Firefighter Next Door maintain access to a national database of more than 200 grant and down-payment assistance programs. This includes program-specific grants for law enforcement officers and firefighters.
The grant funds from the Next Door programs do not have to be repaid if buyers meet the program requirements.
Down-payment assistance may be layered with other local or state incentives in some areas. Some assistance programs are structured as forgivable second mortgages, which may be forgiven after a required occupancy period — often three years — while other programs may have different terms.
Applicants can use the aid toward the purchase of any eligible home on the market — including new construction, resale houses, condos, or townhomes, not just foreclosures or HUD-listed properties.
For more information, visit https://www.nextdoorprograms.us/
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