DC4ME

Are you a D.C. government employee interested in buying a home in the District?

Have you heard of DC4ME?

The DC4ME program is administered by the District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency (DCHFA), which was established to stimulate and expand affordable homeownership and rental housing opportunities in Washington, DC.

DC4ME provides a reduced interest mortgage and an optional 3% down payment assistance loan (zero percent deferred subordinate loan) for current full-time District of Columbia government employees.

This includes employees of District Government-based Instrumentalities, Independent Agencies, District of Columbia Public Charter Schools, and organizations, provided the applicant/borrower’s employer falls under the oversight of the Council of the District of Columbia.

There is no minimum tenure to qualify for DC4ME; however, you must show proof of your employment start. (DCHFA will not accept offer letters as proof of employment.)

DC4ME Employment Requirement

At least one Borrower must be a current Full-Time District Government employee, including employees of District Government-based Instrumentalities, Independent Agencies, District of Columbia Public Charter Schools, and Organizations, provided the applicant/borrower’s employer falls under the oversight of the Council of the District of Columbia. (See the full list below.)

First Time Homebuyer

The Borrower, or any other person taking title to the property, must be a first time homebuyer, having had no ownership interest in a primary residence during the most recent 3 year period and no ownership interest in any property of any type at the time of settlement.

Exceptions to this requirement are allowed if:

1. The property being purchased is located in a Targeted Area; OR
2. The borrower is a veteran purchasing a home using proceeds under a one-time exception allowance. The veteran may not own any other real property at the time of settlement for the subject property, and must make application for financing prior to the 25th anniversary of the last date on which the veteran left active service (a DD214 reflecting the date of an honorable discharge is required).

Separated/Divorced Borrowers: Individuals who are separated or divorced and have had an ownership interest in a primary residence/real property within the last 3 years may be eligible if the borrower can document that he/she did not reside in the marital property during the last 3 years. In addition, they must no longer have any ownership interest in the property, or must divest themselves of that property interest prior to settlement.

Co-signors are not accepted for the DC4ME/DC4ME PLUS program.

DC4ME Eligible Properties

Subject property must be located in the District of Columbia. Acceptable property types include:

• Detached Single-Family
• Semi- Detached Single-Family
• Attached (Row home/Townhome) residential units
• Condominium units (approved by the insurer/guarantor)

Ineligible property types/uses:

• Manufactured housing (mobile homes)
• Cooperatives
• Rental homes or any home in which a portion is to be rented
• Investment homes
• Commercial property
• Properties purchased through the sale of contract rights
• Any 2, 3 or 4 unit property or multi-unit property
• Any residence used on a regular basis in the business or trade of providing daycare for children or other individuals regardless of age
• Roommates are considered utilizing more than fifteen percent (15%) of theresidence for business purposes and thus ineligible.

Occupancy

All borrowers, or any persons taking title to the property, must occupy the subject property as a primary residence and take occupancy within 60 days of settlement.

Credit Score

Applicant must have at least a 640 Minimum Credit Score.

Debt To Income Ratio

Maximum allowable Debt To Income ratio is 50%.

Homebuyer Education

At least one Borrower must take a Homebuyer Education Class. Borrower must provide DCHFA with evidence of class completion.

Maximum Household Income

The Maximum Household Income is $151,200 for the DC4ME Program.

Household Income is defined as the gross annual income of the borrower(s) and any other person, related or unrelated, who is expected to reside in the residence being financed; including income received by any household member who is 18 years of age and older, except full-time dependent students, even if they will not be liable for the mortgage or take title to the property.

In other words, household income is the total income of everyone 18 or older that will reside in the new home.

Maximum Sales Price

The Maximum Sales Price is $530,000 for all DC4ME Loans.

Maximum Loan Limit

The Maximum Loan Limit is $510,400 for all DC4ME Loans.

DC4ME Down Payment Assistance (DPA/DPAL)

The DPAL is only available in conjunction with a DC4ME mortgage. Eligible borrowers may borrow up to three percent (3%) of the purchase price.

The DPAL is a non-amortizing, 0% interest, deferred subordinate lien.

The Loan is repayable at the time of any of the following events:

• the first trust loan is refinanced;
• the borrower no longer occupies the property as his/her primary residence;
• the deed is transferred under any circumstances; or
• Thirty (30) year maturity date of the mortgage

DC4ME Interest Rates

Required Income Documentation

All occupants receiving income must submit all of the following documentation, as applicable:

• Pay stub dated within 45 days of submission (and not more than 120 days before closing) clearly defining base pay, overtime, bonuses, etc., and year-to-date income.
• Written verification of employment and/or year-end pay stub for the previous year may also be requested by DCHFA.
• Most recent year’s W2 forms, 1099s, K1s as applicable.
• Self-employed borrowers must include two (2) years signed federal taxreturns, including all schedules, and a signed and dated year-to-date profit & loss statement through the end of the most recent quarter, profit and loss statement is only required if 120 days or more has passed since the end of the most recent tax year.
• If calculated income equals a negative amount, it will be counted as $0 and may not be used to decrease household income.
• Complete partnership or corporate tax returns must be submitted if the borrower is a 25% or greater partner or owner of a corporation.
• Social Security/Disability Income – most recent Award/Benefit statement.
• Interest/Dividend Income – current statements to reflect year-to-dateearnings plus previous year’s federal tax return.
• Alimony/Child Support Income – pages of separation agreement.divorcedecree/court order reflecting the monthly amount being received
• For married borrowers living separately and apart, provide notarizedstatement of the borrower’s intent to live separately from their spouse, which must address child support, alimony, and ownership interest in any other property.

Income that may be excluded from the household income calculation includes the following:

• Educational scholarships.
• Amounts paid by the government to a veteran for use in meeting the costs of tuition, fees, books and equipment.
• Amounts specifically for reimbursement of business and/or educational expenses.
• One-time sign-on employment bonus.
• Lump sum additions to assets, such as inheritance, insurance, capital gains, and settlement for personal/property losses.
• Payments received for the care of foster children.
• Severance pay.

DC4ME Qualifying DC Government Agencies/Entities

Eligible Applicants must be Full-Time District Government Employees including those employed by District Government-Based Instrumentalities, Independent Agencies, District of Columbia Public Charter Schools, and Organizations, provided that the applicant/borrower’s employer falls under the oversight of the Council of the District of Columbia. See the list below for qualifying DC Government Agencies/Entities:

DC Council Committee Oversight

Committee of the Whole

• Board for the Condemnation of Insanitary Buildings
• Board of Industrial Trades
• Board of Zoning Adjustment
• Commemorative Works Committee
• Commission on the Arts and Humanities
• Community College of the District of Columbia
• Community College Transition to Independence Advisory Board
• Construction Codes Coordinating Board
• Council of the District of Columbia
• Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs
• District of Columbia Auditor
• District of Columbia Retirement Board, including the District of Columbia Police Officers and Fire Fighters’ Retirement Fund and the Teachers’ Retirement Fund District Retiree Health Contribution
• Events DC
• Historic Preservation Review Board
• Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission
• Law Revision Commission
• Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
• Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments
• National Capital Planning Commission
• New Columbia Statehood Commission
• Office of Budget and Planning
• Office of Planning
• Office of the Statehood Delegation
• Office of Zoning
• Other Post-Employment Benefits Fund Advisory Committee Tax Revision Commission
• Tobacco Settlement Financing Corporation
• University of the District of Columbia
• Zoning Commission

Committee on Business and Economic Development

• Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration
• Board of Accountancy
• Board of Architecture, Interior Design, and Landscape Architecture
• Board of Barber and Cosmetology
• Board of Consumer Claims Arbitration for the District of Columbia
• Board of Funeral Directors
• Board of Professional Engineering
• Captive Insurance Agency
• Combat Sports Commission
• Department of For-Hire Vehicles
• Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking
• Department of Small and Local Business Development
• Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development
• Destination DC
• District of Columbia Lottery and Charitable Games
• Financial Literacy Council
• For-Hire Vehicle Advisory Council
• Innovation and Technology Inclusion Council
• Kennedy Street NW Economic Development and Small Business Revitalization Advisory Committee
• Multistate Tax commission
• Office of People’s Counsel
• Office of the Chief Financial Officer (not including the Office of Budget and Planning) Public Access Corporation
• Public Service Commission
• St. Elizabeth’s East Redevelopment Initiative Advisory Board
• Walter Reed Army Medical Center Site Reuse Advisory Committee

Committee on Education

• Advisory Committee on Community Use of Public Space
• Bullying Prevention Task Force
• Commission on Out of School Time Grants and Youth Outcomes
• Common Lottery Board
• Community Schools Advisory Committee
• District of Columbia Educational Opportunity for Military Children State Council District of Columbia Public Charter School Board
• District of Columbia Public Library System
• District of Columbia Public Library Trust Fund
• District of Columbia Public Schools
• District of Columbia State Athletics Commission
• Education Licensure Commission
• Healthy Youth and Schools Commission
• Higher Education Licensure Commission
• Interagency Coordinating Council
• Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education
• Office of the Ombudsman for Public Education
• Office of the State Superintendent of Education (including Advisory Panel on Special Education, Early Childhood Development Coordinating Council)
• Office of the Student Advocate
• Office of Out of School Time Grants and Youth Outcomes
• Our Schools Leadership Committee
• Public Charter School Credit Enhancement Fund Committee
• State Board of Education

Committee on Facilities and Procurement

• Advisory Neighborhood Commissions
• Contract Appeals Board
• Commission on Re-Entry and Returning Citizen Affairs Department of General Services
• Office of Contracting and Procurement
• Office on Returning Citizens Affairs
• Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Washington Metrorail Safety Commission

Committee on Government Operations

• Advisory Board on Veterans Affairs for the District of Columbia
• Advisory Commission on Caribbean Community Affairs
• Advisory Committee to the Office of Administrative Hearings
• Advisory Committee to the Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Affairs
• Board of Review of Anti-Deficiency Violations Commission for Women
• Commission on African Affairs
• Commission on African American Affairs
• Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs Commission on Fashion Arts and Events Commission on Human Rights
• Commission on Latino Community Development Commission on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission on Nightlife and Culture
• Commission to Commemorate and Recognize Charles Hamilton Houston and for His Contributions to the American Civil Rights Movement, Education, and the Legal Profession
• Emancipation Commemoration Commission
• Executive Office of the Mayor
• Serve DC
• Interfaith Council
• Mayor’s Office of Legal Counsel
• Office of Administrative Hearings (including the Advisory Committee to the Office of Administrative Hearings and the Commission on Selection and Tenure of Administrative Law Judges)
• Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment
• Office of Community Affairs
• Office of Human Rights
• Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Affairs Office of Nightlife and Culture
• Office of Partnerships and Grants Services Office of Public-Private Partnerships Office of Risk Management
• Office of the Chief Technology Officer Office of the City Administrator
• Office of the Inspector General
• Office of the Senior Advisor
• Office of Veterans Affairs
• Office on African Affairs
• Office on African American Affairs
• Office on Asian and Pacific Islanders Affairs Office on Latino Affairs
• Office on Women’s Policy and Initiatives Secretary of the District of Columbia

Committee on Health

• Advisory Committee on Acupuncture
• Advisory Committee on Anesthesiologist Assistants Advisory Committee on Clinical Laboratory Practitioners
• Advisory Committee on Naturopathic Medicine Advisory Committee on Physician Assistants Advisory Committee on Polysomnography Advisory Committee on Surgical Assistants Board of Allied Health
• Board of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Board of Behavioral Health
• Board of Chiropractic
• Board of Dentistry
• Board of Dietetics and Nutrition
• Board of Long-Term Care Administration
• Board of Marriage and Family Therapy
• Board of Massage Therapy
• Board of Medicine
• Board of Nursing
• Board of Occupational Therapy
• Board of Optometry
• Board of Pharmacy
• Board of Physical Therapy
• Board of Podiatry
• Board of Professional Counseling
• Board of Psychology
• Board of Respiratory Care
• Board of Social Work
• Board of Veterinary Medicine
• Commission on Health Disparities
• Commission on Health Equity
• Commission on HIV/AIDS
• Committee on Metabolic Disorders
• Council on Physical Fitness, Health, and Nutrition
• Department of Behavioral Health
• Department of Health
• Department of Health Care Finance
• Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services
• District of Columbia Health Benefit Exchange Authority
• Health Information Exchange Policy Board
• Health Literacy Council
• Mental Health Planning Council
• Metropolitan Washington Regional Ryan White Planning Council Not-For-Profit Hospital Corporation
• Statewide Health Coordinating Council

Committee on Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization

• Age-Friendly DC Task Force
• Board of Real Estate Appraisers
• Condominium Association Advisory Council
• Commission on Aging
• Department of Housing and Community Development
• District of Columbia Housing Authority
• Housing and Community Development Reform Commission Housing Finance Agency
• Housing Production Trust Fund
• Interagency Council on Homelessness
• Office of the Tenant Advocate
• Office on Aging
• Real Estate Commission
• Rental Housing Commission
• Real Property Tax Appeals Commission for the District of Columbia Office-to-Affordable-Housing Task Force

Committee on Human Services

• Advisory Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect Child and Family Services Agency
• Citizen Review Panel on Child Abuse and Neglect Commission on Persons with Disabilities Department of Human Services
• Department on Disability Services
• Developmental Disabilities State Planning Council Interagency Council on Homelessness
• Office of Disability Rights
• State Rehabilitation Council
• Statewide Independent Living Council

Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety

• Access to Justice Initiative
• Advisory Committee on Street Harassment
• Board of Ethics and Government Accountability
• Child Fatality Review Committee
• Child Support Guideline Commission
• Clemency Board
• Commission on Judicial Disabilities and Tenure Comprehensive Homicide Elimination Strategy Task Force Corrections Information Council
• Criminal Code Reform Commission
• Criminal Justice Coordinating Council
• Department of Corrections
• Department of Forensic Sciences
• Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice Developmental Disabilities Fatality Review Committee District of Columbia Board of Elections
• District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission District of Columbia National Guard
• District of Columbia Sentencing Commission
• Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board
• Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency Homeland Security Commission
• Juvenile Justice Advisory Group
• Maternal Mortality Review Committee
• Metropolitan Police Department
• Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Commission
• Office of Campaign Finance
• Office of Police Complaints
• Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement
• Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
• Office of Unified Communications
• Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants
• Police Complaints Board
• Police Officer Standards and Training Board
• Science Advisory Board
• Uniform Law Commission
• Violence Fatality Review Committee

Committee on Labor and Workforce Development

• Adult Career Pathways Task Force
• Apprenticeship Council
• Department of Employment Services
• Department of Human Resources
• Employees’ Compensation Fund
• Labor/Management Partnership Council
• Occupational Safety and Health Board
• Office of Employee Appeals
• Office of Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining Public Employee Relations Board
• Unemployment Compensation Fund
• Workforce Investment Council
• Youth Apprenticeship Advisory Committee

Committee on Recreation and Youth Affairs

• Commission on Fathers, Men and Boys
• Department of Parks and Recreation
• Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services
• Deputy Mayor for Greater Economic Opportunity
• Juvenile Abscondence Review Committee

Committee on Transportation and the Environment

• Commission on Climate Change and Resiliency Department of Energy and Environment
• Department of Motor Vehicles
• Department of Public Works
• District Department of Transportation
• District of Columbia Bicycle Advisory Council District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority Food Policy Council
• Gas Station Advisory Board
• Green Buildings Advisory Council
• Green Finance Authority
• Leadership Council for a Cleaner Anacostia River Public Space Committee
• Major Crash Review Task Force
• Multimodal Accessibility Advisory Council Pedestrian Advisory Council
• Recreational Trails Advisory Committee
• Soil and Water Conservation District
• Streetcar Financing and Governance Task Force Sustainable Energy Utility Advisory Board Transit Rider Advisory Council
• Urban Forestry Advisory Council
• Washington Aqueduct

Have Questions?