If you work for a Colorado public school, in any role, there's a program that could change how much cash you need to buy a home.
CHFA, the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority, launched the Schools To Home Program in July 2026. It pairs a fixed-rate first mortgage with down payment and closing cost help of up to 25 percent of that first mortgage amount. For a lot of qualified buyers, that can mean bringing as little as $1,000 in cash to closing.
Who qualifies
Any full-time employee of a Colorado preK-12 public school, school district, charter school, BOCES, or innovation zone. That is not just classroom teachers. It includes paras, counselors, front office staff, special education staff, custodial and maintenance workers, nutrition services staff, bus drivers, coaches, and administrators.
There is no requirement that you be a first-time buyer, no purchase price limit, and you can use it anywhere in Colorado.
How the assistance actually works
This is not a grant you keep for free. The down payment help comes as a deferred second mortgage under a shared appreciation model. That means it gets repaid, along with a share of the home's appreciation, when you sell, refinance, pay off the first mortgage, or the home stops being your primary residence. It is real help getting in the door, and it is a loan you pay back later, not money that disappears.
The program is funded through Colorado's Public School Permanent Fund.
Why this matters right now
Between a growing buyer's market on the Western Slope and a new program built specifically for the people who teach and support our kids every day, this is worth a real conversation. If you work at a Colorado public school in any capacity, I would rather walk you through exactly what this looks like for your situation than have you assume it does not apply to you.
Reach out and let's find out what you qualify for. Karen McGhee, 970-340-8400, [email protected]
Source: CHFA's Schools To Home Program, CHFAInfo.com
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