Allston Brighton CDC sat down with Megan Ryan, Director of Homeownership Programs at the Boston Housing Authority (BHA), to learn more about the homeownership options available to people with and without housing choice rental vouchers.
Housing Choice/Section 8 Voucher Background Information
Housing choice vouchers, sometimes referred to as HCVs or Section 8 vouchers, helps families with low income by paying part of their rent. Project-based vouchers (PBVs) are associated with specific housing units, while tenant-based or mobile vouchers can be used anywhere within the PHA’s jurisdiction, as long as the unit in question meets health and safety standards (mass.gov).
The Boston Housing Authority is the sixth largest housing authority in the United States. The BHA oversees about 10,000 rental units of public housing in Boston and houses 17,000+ people under the public housing program (bostonhousing.org). Across tenant-based Section 8 vouchers, the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP), Section 8 Project-Based Voucher and Moderate Rehabilitation programs, and the BHA’s public housing, the Boston Housing authority oversees over 53,000 tenants.
In October of 2000, a new rule went into effect allowing public housing authorities (PHAs) to administer a homeownership program for those with Federal Section 8 Vouchers. It is important to note that this rule does not require PHAs to administer this program, meaning not every public housing authority in the country or even the state may run this program. There are multiple challenges to running a voucher-to-homeownership program; funding and administrative lift being major factors. PHAs must indicate they have the capacity, with existing staff, to operate a homeownership option; the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) does not allocate separate funding for the homeownership option. On a national level, only about 9,000 out of 2 million voucher holders are on the ownership track.
The Citywide Voucher Homeownership Program
Megan Ryan has taken the lead on all homeownership programming at the Boston Housing Authority; the homeownership program is open to both voucher holders and all BHA tenants (see chart and flowchart below for clarification). Funding provided by the Mayor’s Office of Housing’s Boston Home Center uses Federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to provide enhanced down payment assistance to any BHA tenant seeking to purchase within the City of Boston.
In 2023, the BHA oversaw their first cohort of the City of Boston Homeownership Voucher Program. This program was focused on supporting low-to-moderate-income first-generation homebuyers seeking to purchase their first home. This voucher program was modeled after the Federal Section 8 to Homeownership Program and extended the opportunity to Boston renters who were not currently in subsidized housing.
Applicants had to meet the following criteria:
- Be a first-generation homebuyer (meaning neither the applicant nor their parent(s)/guardian(s)/spouse have ever owned a home)
- Currently rent in Boston
- Have consistent employment over the past 2 years
- Have at least $4,000 in personal savings
- Have a minimum credit score of 650
- Be between 50% and 80% of area median income (AMI)
- Graduate from a first-time homebuyer class
- Be referred to the BHA by and engaged in homeownership counseling with a partner agency: Allston Brighton CDC, Compass Capital, Empath, Massachusetts Affordable Homeownership Alliance (MAHA), Madison Park Development Corporation, UrbanEdge
The program held an open application period, screened for initial availability, and then applicants deemed to pass the initial eligibility screening were placed into a lottery. The selected applicants then completed another eligibility screening where they completed the BHA Admissions screening for voucher eligibility. 5 applicants that met the full eligibility requirements went on to successfully purchase homes with vouchers.
The purchase timeline for the 5 applicants who achieved homeownership ranged from 6 months to 2 years. Each of the 5 successful buyers were supported with an average of $1,043 per month towards their mortgage payments.
People can become over-income for this mortgage subsidy program. Over-income is defined as when 30% of the household’s monthly adjusted income is equal to either the payment standard based on where the home is located or equal to the gross monthly homeownership expenses, whichever figure is lower. When the voucher-to-homeownership candidates become over-income, they exit the program. Once candidates exit the program, the BHA can re-evaluate the number of households benefitting from the voucher-to-homeownership program. In other words, if households stay income-eligible and remain on the program for the majority of the loan term, it is likely the program will be able to support less closings whereas if households become over-income and exit the program, then the fundings that had been allocated to their loan go back into the pool for more households to use (this is why the BHA estimates a range of households supported as opposed to a set number). The maximum length of a mortgage subsidy under the City of Boston Voucher Subsidy program is up to 30 years, with the requirement that the homeowner remains income eligible for each consecutive year. The Federal Section 8 to Homeownership program is limited to a maximum of 15 years (with the same requirement that the homeowner remains income eligible for each consecutive year).
Over the four years that the program has been in effect, 90 people applied, 60 applicants met the initial eligibility criteria, 15 were selected via lottery, 8 fully met eligibility requirements, and 5 successfully purchased homes with vouchers.
The BHA First Home Program
In addition to the City of Boston Voucher Subsidy program, the BHA also offers a First Home Program open to BHA tenants who use Section 8 vouchers or who reside in BHA Public Housing.
Although the BHA oversees both the First Home and Citywide Voucher programs, BHA tenants can only apply for the First Home program.
See the chart below for additional program distinctions:
| BHA First Home Program | BHA First Home Program Public Housing | Citywide Voucher Homeownership Program | |
| Unique Requirements | For BHA Section 8 voucher holders
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For BHA Public Housing tenants; must reside in a BHA community on this list:
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For current Boston renters
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| Similar Requirements |
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| Apply | BHA First Home Program Application | BHA First Home Program Public Housing Application | Citywide Voucher Program Application; applicants determined to be potentially eligible will then be invited to complete the BHA Admissions screening process for a voucher. |
Please make use of this flowchart for additional guidance: BHA Homeownership Assistance Program Eligibility Flowchart. The most up-to-date information and program distinctions can be found at the BHA’s First Home Program page of the BHA website: www.bostonhousing.org/firsthome.
Current and Future Status of the Programs
The Citywide Voucher Program is funded by the City of Boston’s budget.
The ARPA money granted through the City of Boston for First Home down payment assistance will likely end by December 2026. The First Home program will continue but will no longer include enhanced down payment assistance; buyers can still utilize the City’s traditional down payment assistance program.
Please note that the information in this article is accurate as of July 1st, 2026. *For the most updated information, please visit the BHA First Home Program page of the BHA website at www.bostonhousing.org/firsthome.
Questions? Please contact Megan Ryan at [email protected].