NYC HomeFirst Down Payment Assistance Program
A forgivable HomeFirst loan covers up to $100,000 of the down payment or closing costs in this example.
Read the full programHOW THE NUMBERS WORK
Two households. More than $546,000 in value.
These are imaginary best-case households built to show what can happen when several programs fit at once. The program cards below explain where every benefit number comes from. We also show recurring bill savings separately so one giant total does not blur together cash, debt erased, protected assets and lower monthly costs.
Case study 1 · Queens
A mom, her two children under 10 and her senior dad
$45K household income · family on Medicaid · Dad also on Medicare · one child age 3 · $30K hospital debt · first-time NYC buyers
They get $100,000 toward a first home, erase $30,000 in hospital debt, add $40,000 of paid caregiving income, remove $12,000 of child-care cost, receive $11,928 for groceries, collect $14,742 of paid family leave, save $2,435 in Medicare premiums and get a $1,000 child credit.
About $212,000 in first-year benefits + $896 less in bills every month.
See the $2,033 → $1,137 monthly bill breakdownNew York Hospital Financial Assistance
The household is below the full-waiver income level, so the covered New York hospital bill falls to $0.
Read the full programConsumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP)
The senior needs Medicaid home care, and an eligible relative becomes the paid personal assistant.
Read the full programNew York Child Care Assistance Program
Their $1,000-a-month child-care expense is covered in this best-case example.
Read the full programSNAP
$994 a month is the current maximum SNAP allotment for a four-person household.
Read the full programNew York Paid Family Leave
A covered worker receives the 2026 maximum weekly Paid Family Leave benefit for 12 weeks while caring for the senior.
Read the full programNew York Medicare Savings Program
New York pays the senior’s standard 2026 Medicare Part B premium for the year.
Read the full programEmpire State Child Credit
Their qualifying child is under age 4, unlocking the 2026 maximum Empire State Child Credit for that child.
Read the full programCase study 2 · Nassau
A couple in their 70s and their disabled adult child
One spouse needs long-term care · their disabled adult child lives at home · low income · major home repair/accessibility needs
They keep $162,660 of marital savings protected, shield another $100,000 in disability savings, receive $20,000 of emergency repairs, $14,000 of energy upgrades, an $8,000 furnace replacement and a $25,000 accessibility project, while cutting a $10,000 eligible property-tax bill by $5,000.
About $334,660 protected or paid for the household.
Medicaid community-spouse protections
When one spouse needs qualifying long-term-care Medicaid, the community spouse keeps the 2026 maximum protected resource allowance in this example.
Read the full programNY ABLE
The disabled adult child holds $100,000 in a NY ABLE account without that balance counting toward SSI’s normal resource ceiling.
Read the full programNYS RESTORE
A funded local RESTORE administrator covers an urgent roof, electrical or safety repair at the program’s current project cap.
Read the full programNYSERDA EmPower+
A low-income downstate EmPower+ project covers insulation, air sealing and other approved efficiency work at the current downstate cap.
Read the full programHEAP Heating Equipment Repair and Replacement
The household’s failed heating system is replaced at the 2025–26 HEAP equipment-replacement maximum used in this example.
Read the full programAccess to Home
A local Access to Home award pays the fictional household’s approved $25,000 accessibility project; this program does not publish one universal statewide household cap.
Read the full programSenior Citizens Property Tax Exemption
In this example the local taxing jurisdictions grant the full 50% senior exemption on the eligible tax base.
Read the full programAbout the totals: they combine different kinds of value—cash or wages, bills erased, costs paid by a program, tax savings, purchase assistance and money protected from benefit spend-down rules. The case studies assume each fictional household satisfies the full rules for every listed program.