Homeownership may be closer than you think! CHFA Schools To Home could help you begin your homeownership journey.

About CHFA Schools To Home program
The Colorado General Assembly authorized CHFA to develop and manage a shared appreciation down payment assistance program for public school employees, funded by investment from the Public School Permanent Fund (PSPF).

Homeownership contributes significantly to the long-term affordability and stability of communities. CHFA Schools To Homesm was created to help Colorado public school employees purchase homes and live in the communities where they work.

Program Overview

  • Fixed interest rate first mortgage loan
  • Down payment and/or closing cost assistance: second mortgage loan* for up to 25% of the first mortgage loan amount.
  • Shared appreciation component: borrower shares a percentage of appreciation gained with the Public School Permanent Fund (PSPF)

*Second mortgage loan repayment, along with the shared appreciation payment, is required but is deferred until the end of the loan term or an earlier event such as payoff of first mortgage loan, sale or refinance of home, or if the home is no longer your primary residence.

Who is a “public school employee?”

CHFA Schools To Home is for any individual employed by a preK-12 Colorado public school, school district, charter school, institute charter school, board of cooperative educational services, or innovation zone, who is classified as a full-time employee by their employer. You can verify eligible employers on the Colorado Department of Education’s website. If using the Excel spreadsheet on the site to verify, please ensure "Public" is listed in the “School Type” column. 

Please note: If multiple borrowers are on the loan, only one borrower must be a full-time public school employee.

Example: How CHFA Schools To Home Shared Appreciation Works (for illustrative purposes only.)

Graphic flow chart for a borrower who purchases a home for $437,500. The borrower receives $87,500 in the form of the CHFA DPA Second Mortgage Loan. That $87,500 represented 25%25 of the first mortgage loan amount. The borrower later sells the home for $480,000 – an increase in value of $42,500. The percentage of appreciation the borrower must share with PSPF will always be 5%25 lower than the percentage of DPA the borrower received. In this example, the borrower received 25%25 of the CFHA First Mortgage Loan amount in DPA, so the borrower owes 25%25 of the home’s appreciation as a shared appreciation payment to PSPF. 25%25 of the $42,500 increase, or $10,625, is the shared appreciation the borrower owes. Repayment of $87,500 in DPA plus a shared appreciation payment of $10,625 results in the borrower owing a total payment of $98,125 when the borrower sells the home. This leaves you with $31,875 in remaining equity. For illustrative purposes only. Shared Appreciation percentage to be determined but may never exceed the percentage of DPA provided. Appreciation is not guaranteed and any negative appreciation will be considered 0%25 appreciation.
A wooden home and a small chalkboard

Required Course – “Understanding Your Financial Commitment”

This course will help you understand program requirements and your financial obligation.

If you would like a sneak peek or would like to save a copy or the presentation, click here to view a PDF of the "Understanding Your Financial Commitment" webinar slides.

This course and related quiz, along with a CHFA-approved homebuyer education class, are required to use the CHFA Schools To Home program.
Understanding Your Financial Commitment course CHFA-approved Homebuyer Education class

When You Are Ready

You can get started by contacting a CHFA Participating Lender.

Contact a CHFA Participating Lender