Welcome Home Grants 2026
The Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati (FHLB Cincinnati) has established a set-aside of Affordable Housing Program (AHP) funds to help create homeownership through a program called the Welcome Home Program. Welcome Home funds are available to Members as grants to assist homebuyers.
Homebuyers may receive Welcome Home grants up to $20,000. The total household income must be at or below 80 percent of Mortgage Revenue Bond (MRB) income limits. Welcome Home funds will be available for reservation on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 8:00 a.m. ET on
April 6, 2026 and will remain available until all funds have been reserved. We recommend that you make preparations as soon as possible to take advantage of this opportunity!
Homebuyer Requirements
A homebuyer would be eligible if all of the following guidelines are met:
- Total household income must be at or below 80 percent of the Mortgage Revenue Bond (MRB) limits for the county and state where the property is located;
- A fully executed (signed by buyer and seller)purchase contract on an eligible property is in
hand; - The homebuyer has at least $500 of their own funds to contribute toward down payment and/or closing costs; and,
- If a first-time homebuyer (typically anyone who has not owned a home in the last three years), a satisfactory homebuyer counseling course is completed prior to loan closing.
Note: Applicants do not have to be first-time homebuyers.
Property Requirements
A property would be eligible if all of the following guidelines are met:
- The property will be the homebuyer’s primary residence;
- The property is a single-family home, townhome, condominium, duplex, multi-unit (up to four family units), or a qualified manufactured home (Manufactured homes may be eligible if they are taxed as real estate and affixed to a permanent foundation); and,
- The property is subject to a legally enforceable five-year retention mechanism, included in the Deed or as a Declaration of Restrictive Covenants to the Deed, requiring the FHLB Cincinnati to be notified of any refinancing, sale, foreclosure, deed in-lieu of foreclosure, or change in ownership during the five-year retention period.
The Process
- Homebuyer executes a purchase contract on an eligible property
- Homebuyer completes a loan application with a FHLB Member
- Member determines loan eligibility and submits an online Reservation Request to the FHLB
- FHLB reviews the request and issues an approval* letter, this process may take as long as four weeks
- Member closes their loan and the retention language is recorded in the warranty deed
Welcome Home Guide 2026, Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati
Contact a Peoples Exchange Bank Mortgage Lender at 800-364-3631 for complete details about the Welcome Home Grants.
Peoples Exchange Bank
NMLS# 527664
*all loans are subject to credit approval