Single-Family Housing Section 502 Home Loan Program:  Self-help and affordable housing pilot

A notice regarding the Single-Family Housing Section 502 Self-Help and Affordable Housing Pilot was published in the Federal Register March 23, 2026.

Click here to read the notice.

The pilot extends the following program approaches
Appraised values for self-help housing loans may: (1) exceed the maximum area loan limit, and (2) be used to establish the owner’s original equity. However, the Section 502 loan amount must be at or below the maximum loan limit.

When an applicant is receiving a housing grant or other form of affordable housing assistance for eligible loan purposes, the area loan limit may be exceeded by those amounts, provided that the Section 502 loan is at or below the area loan limit and is in the first lien position.

Pilot states include California, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Washington, Utah and Virginia.