Low Income Purchase Assistance (LIPA) Program
The City of Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD) can help you achieve the dream of homeownership. The Low Income Purchase Assistance (LIPA) Program helps first-time, low-income homebuyers purchase homes in the City of Los Angeles by providing subordinate loans to cover the down payment, closing costs, and acquisition. We invite you to look through our program flyer to learn about the program features, benefits, and eligibility requirements.
Who’s eligible
First-time homebuyers who have not had an ownership interest in any real property at any time during the last three years
U.S. Citizens, lawful permanent residents, or other qualified aliens.
Homebuyers must have a middle FICO credit score of at least 660.
- Applicants must attend an 8-hour, Homebuyer Education Class and receive housing counseling given by one of LAHD’s approved providers.
Applicants must contribute a minimum of 1% of the home price as down payment. The down payment must come from the Applicant’s own. Some homebuyers may be required to contribute more than 1% toward the down payment to complete the purchase.
Homebuyers must occupy the home as their principal residence
If eligible and program funds are available, applicants who apply for this program may also be required to apply for the Mortgage Credit Certificate Program (MCC)
- The total household income for all adults 18 years of age or older must fall within the maximum income limits, adjusted according to household size, as shown in the table below:
| Household Size | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Household Low Income Limit (up to 80% of AMI) | $84,850 or less | $96,950 or less | $109,050 or less | $121,150 or less | $130,850 or less | $140,550 or less | $150,250 or less | $159,950 or less |
For the moderate-income limits, please refer to the Moderate Income Purchase Assistance (MIPA) Program
Loan Amount
Up to $161,000 for down payment, closing costs, and acquisition.
Loan terms
- Zero Percent (0%) Interest
Deferred, requiring no monthly payments
Loans have a Shared Appreciation provision in which the City will share a certain percentage of the appreciation in the value of the property. For an example of Shared Appreciation, click here
Loan and Shared Appreciation is due on sale, title transfer, first mortgage repayment, or in 30 years as balloon payment
Refinancing of first mortgage is allowed under certain conditions
Property Eligibility
- Properties must be located in the City of Los Angeles
One unit properties, i.e. single family residences including townhomes and condominiums
Regular sales, approved short sales/pays, and foreclosed and REO properties
Homebuyers are required to purchase their own consumer home property inspection report.
- Maximum Purchase Price Limit: $930,622
Example of how this program works?
LAHD provides purchase assistance up to a maximum of $161,000. The Low Income Purchase Assistance (LIPA) loan provides the difference between the purchase price plus closing costs (up to 5% of the sales price) and the amount of the homebuyer’s first mortgage loan, down payment and other funding sources.
EXAMPLE LIPA
| Home Purchase Price: | $536,666 |
| Homebuyer’s Closing Costs: | $16,100 |
| Total Funds Needed: | $552,766 |
| First Mortgage: | $384,199 |
| Homebuyer Down Payment (1% of Purchase Price): | $5,367 |
| Gift/Additional Buyer Cash/Other Source | $2,200 |
| LAHD LIPA Loan | $161,000 |
| Total Funds Available: | $552,766 |
How to apply
Due to limited resources, LAHD has implemented a modified loan reservation process. Below is the loan reservation schedule, including the number of loan reservations per round:
| Program | Loan Reservation Submission Date | # of Loan Reservations |
|---|---|---|
| Moderate Income Purchase Assistance (MIPA) | Wednesday, September 10, 2025 | 23 |
| Low Income Purchase Assistance (LIPA) | Wednesday, November 12, 2025 | 23 |
| Moderate Income Purchase Assistance (MIPA) | Wednesday, January 14, 2026 | 23 |
| Low Income Purchase Assistance (LIPA) | Wednesday, March 4, 2026 | 23 |
| Moderate Income Purchase Assistance (MIPA) | Wednesday, June 10, 2026 | 23 |
Please contact one of LAHD’s Participating Lender English / Participating Lender Spanish to get pre-qualified for a first mortgage and a City loan or call (213) 808-8800 for more information.
To learn about purchase assistance for moderate-income homebuyers, please refer to the Moderate Income Purchase Assistance (MIPA) Program
