Arizona First-time Home Buyers Assistance

by Donald Bashir

Here's something interesting for first-time home buyers in Arizona.

Progressive Insurance offers a first-time homebuyer assistance initiative called UpPayment®.

Here are the highlights for the 2026 program:

Up to $13,500in down payment assistance for eligible first-time homebuyers.
Available to at least 200 eligible buyersduring the 2026 program.
The program is administered through the National Urban League.
Applicants must work with a HUD-certified housing counselor, who helps determine eligibility and guides them through the application process. Counseling is provided at no cost.
In general, you qualify as a first-time homebuyer if you have not owned a primary residence within the past three years.

To apply:

1.Contact a participating HUD-certified housing counselor.

2.Complete the counseling and eligibility review.

3.Submit your application through the counselor before purchasing your home.

If you work with me…

I can show you how to combine this program with certain Arizona state or local down payment assistance programs, depending on the lender and program rules.

I can also provide a list of Arizona programs that can potentially be layered with Progressive's UpPayment assistance to maximize available funds.

Look into layering this program with Arizona's first-time home buyers programs...

Since you're in Arizona and working in residential real estate, here are the primary down payment assistance programs that may be combined with Progressive's UpPayment® program, subject to each program's eligibility rules and lender approval.

Example of how assistance can stack

Suppose a buyer purchases a $450,000 home with a 3.5% FHA down payment.

Required down payment: $15,750
Progressive UpPayment®: up to $13,500
Arizona Home Plus: up to approximately $22,500(5% of the loan amount, depending on the loan and program option)

In this example, the buyer could potentially cover:

The full down payment
A significant portion (or all) of eligible closing costs
Some prepaid items such as homeowners' insurance and property taxes, depending on program guidelines and lender approval.

"Qualified Arizona homebuyers may be eligible for over $30,000 in combined down payment assistance through state and national programs."

This is a compelling message for renters who believe they need a large cash down payment.

Program	Maximum Assistance	Repayment	Notes
Arizona Industrial Development Authority (Home Plus)	Up to 5% of the loan amount	Forgivable or repayable depending on the option selected	Available statewide through participating lenders.
Pima Tucson Homebuyer's Solution	Varies	Varies	Available in participating areas of Pima County.
City of Phoenix Homebuyer Assistance Program	Varies by funding availability	Often deferred payment	Income and purchase price limits apply.
Maricopa County HOME Program	Varies	Deferred loan in many cases	Limited to eligible areas within the county.
Neighborhood Stabilization Program	Varies	Program specific	Offered periodically by participating cities.

Typical Eligibility

Most Arizona assistance programs require:

First-time homebuyer status (or not having owned a primary residence within the past three years)
Minimum credit score (often 640 or higher, though some programs differ)
Income limits based on household size
Occupancy as the primary residence
Completion of a homebuyer education course
Use of a participating lender