Connecticut Launches Homeownership Help for First Responders: Up to $25,000 in Forgivable Assistance Starting November 16
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont announced on November 10 that the state will launch a new homeownership assistance program for first responders, the First Responders' Time to Own program, to help police officers, firefighters and emergency medical personnel buy a home. The program officially launches on November 16, 2026.
Administered by the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA) in partnership with the Connecticut Department of Housing, the program will provide eligible state and local police officers, career and volunteer firefighters, and licensed or certified EMS personnel with up to $25,000 in forgivable down payment and closing cost assistance.
Applicants must have at least two years of service, purchase a home in the community where they serve and use it as their primary residence. Compared with the standard Time to Own program, the new program eliminates the three-year continuous Connecticut residency requirement and the minimum housing expense ratio requirement, uses CHFA mortgage program income limits for eligibility, and offers a 0.125 percentage point reduction in the interest rate on the borrower's CHFA first mortgage.
The program is a component of Public Act 26-12, a bill adopted this year that increases several job benefits for first responders, including college tuition reimbursement and health coverage, with the goal of encouraging more people to seek careers in public safety and retaining those already serving.
(Source: Office of the Governor of Connecticut)
Source: Office of the Governor of Connecticut
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于康涅狄格州 Hartford 的州议会大厦。照片：jglazer75 摄，CC BY 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Connecticut State Capitol in Hartford. Photo: jglazer75, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
