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FHLB Welcome Home Grant: Up to $20,000 for Northern Kentucky Buyers

Last updated: October 2026 · Reviewed by Brad Hamblen, Branch Manager, NMLS 52831.

Quick answer: what is the Welcome Home grant?

The Welcome Home Program from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati gives eligible homebuyers a grant of $10,000 to $20,000 toward down payment and closing costs. It’s a true grant — not a loan — released once a year on a first-come, first-served basis through participating member lenders.

Current status: the 2026 round is closed

The 2026 Welcome Home round is closed. FHLB Cincinnati’s own program page confirms it, and the funds were fully reserved by late May 2026. The next round is expected to open in spring 2027 — FHLB typically announces the opening date the preceding fall. If you are planning a 2027 purchase, the work to do now is the preparation below, not an application.

The catch that matters: timing

Funds open each spring (the 2026 round opened April 6, 2026 at 8:00 a.m.) and are typically reserved within weeks. By mid-year the answer is usually “next round.” The buyers who get Welcome Home money are the ones whose lender has their file, counseling, and purchase contract ready before opening day — which is exactly the preparation a pre-approval in the winter months sets up.

Who qualifies

  • Income: total household income at or below 80% of the Mortgage Revenue Bond (MRB) limit for the county — recently published figures for Boone, Kenton, and Campbell counties were $83,840 for 1–2 person households and $96,416 for 3+; confirm the current year’s limits on fhlbcin.com
  • Your own money — the rule most summaries leave out: the buyer must contribute at least $500 of their own funds toward down payment and closing costs. Up to 60% of that contribution may be gift funds, but seller, nonprofit, and government down payment grants do not count as gifts toward the $500
  • Loan pairing: works with FHA, VA, USDA, and conventional first mortgages originated through a participating member lender — ask any lender you’re considering whether they participate and how early they start files for the spring round
  • Homebuyer status: aimed at low- and moderate-income buyers; you do not have to be a first-time buyer, and homebuyer counseling requirements apply
  • Retention: the property carries a five-year retention period — sell or refinance within five years and all or a portion of the grant may be repayable. The retention language must appear in the body of the deed or as a referenced attachment

How it stacks with other NKY assistance

Welcome Home can be the largest single piece of a Northern Kentucky assistance stack. Depending on eligibility, a buyer may combine it with KHC down payment assistance or the NKY HOME Consortium’s forgivable loan — layering rules apply, and sequencing the pieces correctly is lender work.

Official sources

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