City of St. Paul Reopens Downpayment Assistance Programs, Expands Inheritance Fund
Programs will award a total $2 million for residents who meet income and asset limit qualifications or are direct descendants of the Rondo and West Side Flats communities
The City of St. Paul reopened the application window for the Downpayment Assistance programs (DPA), a $2 million initiative for residents who meet income and asset limit qualifications or are direct descendants of the Rondo and West Side Flats communities. The program was temporarily closed in 2023 due to a high volume of applications.
Packaged as part of Mayor Carter’s All-In Housing Framework, the City’s DPA programs are set to award a total of $2 million to eligible homebuyers for a 15-year deferred term loan at 0% interest to use toward the purchase of a home in St. Paul. It also expands the Inheritance Fund program, first enacted in 2023 to provide financial homebuying assistance for descendants of the Rondo community, to include descendants of the West Side Flats, which was removed in the 1960s to build a flood wall and the Riverview Industrial Park.
The DPA program offers up to $40,000 for residents who meet income and asset limit qualifications. Funds can be used toward a downpayment, closing costs, or to buydown interest rate. Eligible applicants descended from the Rondo and West Side Flats communities can receive between $50,000 and $110,000 in total downpayment assistance.
First-generation homebuyers may also qualify for an additional $10,000 for a maximum award of $50,000.
To begin the application process, obtain a mortgage preapproval with a loan officer of your choosing, then visit stpaul.gov/dpa to submit an interest form. This is a preliminary form that does not guarantee DPA funding. All information will be verified prior to receiving assistance.
Homebuyers seeking Inheritance Fund downpayment assistance should use the separate Inheritance Fund interest form. Visit stpaul.gov/inheritance for more information.
Direct questions regarding the programs, application, and timeline to the Downpayment Assistance Program team at [email protected] or call 651-266-6585.
