What down payment assistance is available in Charles County?
One current county program, plus statewide help
Charles County’s current published homebuyer assistance is the Settlement Expense Loan Program (SELP), administered by the Charles County Housing Authority. It provides up to $6,000 toward settlement expenses for qualified low- and moderate-income first-time homebuyers, secured by a second mortgage with repayment deferred.
Alongside it, Charles County buyers can use the statewide Maryland Mortgage Program, which offers a below-market first mortgage with its own down payment assistance options.
Charles County is also one of the Maryland counties where USDA financing is a genuine possibility in parts of the county, which can matter more than any assistance program.
We have kept this page shorter than our pages for jurisdictions like Baltimore City and Montgomery County. That is deliberate. Charles County publishes one clearly current county assistance program, and inflating the page with programs we cannot verify would make it less useful, not more.
The Settlement Expense Loan Program (SELP)
SELP is administered by the Charles County Housing Authority, which describes it as providing direct financial assistance of up to $6,000 for settlement expenses to qualified low-income and moderate-income first-time homebuyers in Charles County.
| Feature | Terms |
|---|---|
| Maximum assistance | Up to $6,000 |
| Purpose | Settlement expenses |
| Structure | Loan secured by a second mortgage |
| Repayment | Deferred until the property is resold, transferred or refinanced, or the buyer discontinues occupancy as a principal residence |
| First-time buyer | Required |
| Income | Low- and moderate-income households |
| Geographic area | Charles County |
| Administrator | Charles County Housing Authority |
SELP is a deferred loan, not a grant
There is no forgiveness schedule in the county’s published description. The assistance is secured by a second mortgage and becomes repayable when you resell, transfer or refinance the property, or when it stops being your principal residence.
Practically, that means the $6,000 follows you until one of those events happens. It is still worth having — deferred money with no monthly payment helps at the moment help is hardest to find — but it should be carried in your mental balance sheet, not written off.
Figures we are not stating
The County publishes a current SELP Program Guidelines and Procedures document that contains the detailed income limits by household size, the maximum purchase price, the homebuyer education requirement and the approved lender list. That document is served in a way our research tools could not reliably retrieve, and we will not reproduce figures we have not read directly.
So: we are not publishing a SELP income limit table, a purchase price cap or a specific counseling requirement on this page. Request the current guidelines from the Charles County Housing Authority, or ask a lender who regularly closes SELP files in the county.
What about SELP+?
Status unconfirmed — do not plan around it
SELP+ was a Charles County program funded by the American Rescue Plan Act that offered an additional $14,000 in down payment assistance to buyers already approved for SELP, for households at or below 100% of area median income who had lived or worked full-time in the county continuously for three years. It applied to existing homes only, and the funds became a grant if the buyer stayed five years as a principal resident.
We could not confirm that SELP+ is currently open. It does not appear in the Charles County Housing Authority’s current list of homebuyer programs, and the county’s ARPA page describing it still says application details are “coming soon” while also stating that the program “will conclude when ARPA funds are no longer available.”
We are describing it here so you know what to ask about, not because we can tell you it is available. Confirm directly with the Charles County Housing Authority before assuming SELP+ is part of your funds.
This is the honest position, and it is more useful than a confident answer would be. Down payment assistance funded by one-time federal money has been quietly ending across the country, and a page that repeats a 2022-era press release as though nothing has changed does buyers real harm.
Find out whether USDA financing works for your Charles County address
In parts of this county USDA can remove the down payment entirely, which is worth more than any assistance program on this page.
This is not a commitment to lend. All loans subject to credit approval.
The statewide Maryland Mortgage Program
Charles County buyers have full access to the Maryland Mortgage Program, the state’s homeownership loan program run by the Department of Housing and Community Development. The Charles County Housing Authority itself points buyers toward the state’s homeownership programs.
MMP pairs a below-market 30-year fixed first mortgage with its own down payment assistance, and it is available in every Maryland county. It offers a first-time buyer track and a track open to repeat buyers, with assistance ranging from a flat $6,000 to a percentage of the first mortgage amount. Most MMP assistance is a zero percent deferred second lien repaid when the first mortgage ends.
For many Charles County buyers, the statewide program is the larger source of help, and the county program supplements it rather than the other way round.
USDA eligibility is a real factor here
Charles County contains substantial areas outside the designated urbanized zones, and USDA’s Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program allows qualified buyers in eligible rural areas to finance without a down payment.
Where an address qualifies, that can be worth more than any assistance program on this page, because it removes the down payment requirement rather than helping you meet it. USDA eligibility is determined address by address and the maps are revised periodically, so it must be checked for the specific property rather than assumed for the county.
Combining programs
Do not assume county and state assistance stack
Charles County does not publish a statement that SELP may be combined with the Maryland Mortgage Program, and we will not invent one.
Whether these programs can be used together depends on the requirements of both programs and on your first mortgage. Ask your lender and the Housing Authority the question directly before you write an offer that depends on the answer.
How local assistance works with your mortgage
SELP is secondary financing that sits behind a first mortgage. The first mortgage’s rules govern what is permitted.
| Loan type | How it interacts with local assistance |
|---|---|
| FHA | The most common pairing with settlement expense assistance, because of its lower down payment and more flexible credit standards. |
| VA | Qualified veterans can finance without a down payment, so assistance is generally directed at closing costs. Secondary financing follows VA rules and lender overlays. |
| USDA | Genuinely relevant in parts of Charles County. Eligibility is address-specific and must be checked for the individual property. |
| Conventional | Conventional loans permit approved community second liens under defined conditions, determined by the specific product and its mortgage insurance requirements. |
To understand the loan most often paired with county settlement assistance, our Maryland FHA loans guide explains how FHA financing works in detail.
How to apply
- Contact the Charles County Housing Authority and request the current SELP Program Guidelines and Procedures, including income limits and any counseling requirement.
- Ask directly about SELP+ and whether any additional assistance is currently funded and open.
- Get pre-approved with a lender, and confirm they have closed SELP files before.
- Check USDA eligibility for any address you are seriously considering — it may change the whole plan.
- Confirm the stack before writing an offer, including whether county and state assistance can be combined on your file.
Common mistakes
- Planning around SELP+ without confirming it. Its current status is unclear, and the funding source was time-limited federal money.
- Relying on figures from older articles. County guidelines are revised; request the current document.
- Assuming SELP is a grant. It is secured by a second mortgage and becomes repayable on resale, transfer, refinance or loss of principal residence status.
- Skipping the USDA check. In this county it can be the single most valuable question you ask.
- Assuming county and state assistance combine. That is not published, and it should be confirmed rather than presumed.
Frequently asked questions
How much down payment assistance can I get in Charles County?
The county’s Settlement Expense Loan Program provides up to $6,000 toward settlement expenses. Statewide Maryland Mortgage Program assistance may also be available, and for many buyers it is the larger source.
Is SELP a grant?
No. It is secured by a second mortgage, with repayment deferred until the property is resold, transferred or refinanced, or you stop occupying it as your principal residence.
Is SELP+ still available?
We could not confirm that it is. SELP+ was funded by the American Rescue Plan Act and does not appear in the Housing Authority’s current homebuyer program list. Contact the Charles County Housing Authority directly before counting on it.
Do I have to be a first-time homebuyer?
SELP is described as serving first-time homebuyers. The statewide Maryland Mortgage Program has a track that does not carry a first-time requirement, though other conditions apply.
What are the SELP income limits?
SELP serves low- and moderate-income households, with specific limits set out in the county’s current program guidelines. We have not reproduced those figures because we could not retrieve the current document directly. Request it from the Housing Authority.
Can I use USDA financing in Charles County?
In eligible areas, yes, and it can be more valuable than any assistance program because it removes the down payment requirement. Eligibility is determined by property address and must be checked for the individual home.
Can I combine SELP with the Maryland Mortgage Program?
Charles County does not publish a statement either way, so we are not claiming it. Whether the two can be combined depends on the requirements of both programs and your first mortgage. Ask your lender and the Housing Authority directly.
Is homebuyer education required?
Most assistance programs require it, and the statewide Maryland Mortgage Program does. The specific SELP requirement is set out in the county’s current guidelines, which we have not reproduced here. Confirm with the Housing Authority.
Does Waldorf or La Plata have a separate program?
We have not verified a distinct municipal down payment assistance program with current published terms in Charles County, so we are not describing one. County and statewide programs are the routes we can confirm.
Sources
- Charles County Housing Authority — homebuyer and community development program listing: the Settlement Expense Loan Program description, the up to $6,000 assistance figure, the second mortgage security, the deferred repayment triggers of resale, transfer, refinance or discontinued principal residence occupancy, the first-time homebuyer and low- and moderate-income eligibility, and the reference to the current SELP Program Guidelines and Procedures.
- Charles County — ARPA Funds for Housing Projects: the SELP+ description including the $14,000 assistance figure, the requirement to be approved for SELP first, the 100% area median income limit, the three-year lived-or-worked residency condition, the exclusion of new construction, the five-year principal residence condition for grant treatment, the SELP-approved lender requirement, and the statement that the program will conclude when ARPA funds are no longer available.
- Charles County Housing Authority — referral to the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development homeownership programs.
- Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development — Maryland Mortgage Program structure, assistance options and approved lender requirement.
- USDA Rural Development — Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program area eligibility, determined by property address.
Statewide sources verified September 2, 2026; the Charles County pages describing SELP and SELP+ were last read on August 23, 2026 and could not be re-read since. County program terms, income limits and funding availability change, and awards are subject to available funding. We have deliberately omitted SELP figures we could not read directly from the county’s current guidelines. Confirm current terms with the Charles County Housing Authority and an approved lender before relying on anything here.
This page explains how down payment assistance in Charles County generally works. It does not determine individual eligibility, is not a commitment to lend, and is not a Loan Estimate. Program terms are set by Charles County, the Charles County Housing Authority and the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, and participating lenders may apply additional requirements. Maryland Homebuyer Hub is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of Charles County or any government agency.