HELPER Act of 2025

This bill would create a new federal home loan insurance program (through FHA) to help first responders and teachers buy their first home. It covers police, firefighters, EMTs/paramedics, and full‑time PreK–12 teachers as “first responders.” Homes must be your main home and can be a single‑family house, a condo, or certain manufactured homes placed on land you own.

Qualified buyers could get a loan for up to 100% of the home’s value, so no down payment would be required. There would be no monthly mortgage insurance payments, but there is an upfront insurance premium that the agency can adjust over time. To qualify, you must be a first‑time homebuyer, finish approved housing counseling, be in good standing in your job, have served at least 4 of the last 5 years in one of these roles (or left due to a job‑related disability), plan to keep serving for at least one more year, and not have used this program before. The bill sets funding at $660,000 for 2026 and $160,000 each year from 2027–2032, and it limits new insured loans to a five‑year window unless renewed.

Key points

• Who: Full‑time law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMTs/paramedics, and PreK–12 teachers; first‑time homebuyers only.
• What changes: Zero down payment allowed; no monthly mortgage insurance; must complete housing counseling; primary‑residence only (single‑family, condo, or eligible manufactured home) .
• When: Funding begins in 2026; authority to insure new loans lasts five years from the program’s start unless reauthorized.