The Funding Exists. Homebuyers Are Ready.
Together, Let's Unlock DPA.
Our Mission
UnlockDPA is a statewide initiative launched by The Ownership Initiative, powered by Rocket Community Fund, committed to achieving 100% deployment of down payment assistance by strengthening systems and addressing barriers that affect access for Michigan families.
About the Collaboration
The Ownership initiative is a mission based, community impact advisory firm focused on moving millions into community. The firm provides expert, impactful advice in three core areas: Homeownership, Small Business Growth, and Economic Mobility. To date, the firm has helped move $230 million into underserved communities and economically challenged populations across America.
The Rocket Community Fund is a philanthropic arm of Rocket Companies that aims to simplify complex and inequitable systems to ensure that every American has access to stable, healthy housing.
Take a look at an overview of the comprehensive statewide DPA landscape report. (coming soon)
Our 2026 Findings
Michigan’s down payment assistance ecosystem is not suffering from a lack of programs. It is suffering from a lack of access to information.
A rigorous statewide review of 1,000+ potential DPA sources revealed 71 programs, of which just 22% could be verified as currently active.
Four systemic barriers explain why.
The Digital Deadbolt
Access to down payment assistance information should not require extensive research or advanced digital literacy. The current ecosystem favors tech-savvy professionals, leaving many homebuyers effectively locked out before they even begin.
Pitch to Play
Critical eligibility guidelines are kept out of public view, hidden behind contact forms that often lead directly into high-pressure sales conversations rather than transparent information sharing. Homebuyers are unable to determine eligibility on their own, forcing them into premature sales conversations that limit their ability to make informed decisions at their own pace.
Gated Entry
Most DPA programs are restricted to specific lenders or limited geographic areas, which reduces flexibility and makes it difficult to layer or combine multiple sources of assistance. This limits homebuyer options by forcing them into narrower loan choices or locations, often preventing them from combining assistance sources and ultimately reducing how much support they can access to make a purchase feasible.
Waste & Return
Allocated down payment assistance can sit undeployed while eligible families go without.In the absence of publicly available utilization data and active program verification, homebuyers often face delays or are unable to complete a home purchase.
Michigan Interactive DPA Map
The UnlockDPA study was designed to examine how down payment assistance (DPA) operates across the state of Michigan, looking deeper than program-by-program analysis to better understand how the ecosystem is structured and accessed.
By documenting the current landscape and identifying opportunities to strengthen access, improve transparency, and enhance coordination, this study aims to support a more efficient and fully utilized DPA ecosystem.
Click on the letter in your area on the map below to find available programs.
Program details are listed on the programs page.
Programs are organized by MSHDA State Housing Partnership Region. Find out more about regions here.
For the purpose of this work, down payment assistance refers to financial resources provided to homebuyers to help cover the upfront costs of purchasing a home. These costs often include the down payment itself and, in some cases, closing costs.
DPA can take several forms, including:
• Grants that do not require repayment
• Forgivable loans that are eliminated over time if certain conditions are met
• Deferred loans that are repaid only upon sale, refinance, or transfer of the home
• Matched savings programs that reward disciplined savings behavior
• Employer-assisted housing programs that support employees in purchasing homes
