A note on timingPalmetto Heroes is closed for 2026 and no 2027 dates are announced. The year-round SC Housing Homebuyer Program still offers $10,000 in forgivable down payment help.Review my eligibility
Sumter, SC
Down payment assistance in Sumter, SC
The City of Sumter builds new stick-built homes and helps low-income buyers purchase them with a grant plus a large forgivable gap loan.
Through the City of Sumter Affordable Homebuyer Program, the Housing and Economic Development office offers up to $3,000 as a closing-cost grant and up to $35,000 as a 0% deferred gap loan that's forgivable. You use a private first mortgage, need responsible credit, finish the City's pre- and post-purchase counseling, and may need about 1% of the price in cash.
Is Sumter's program right for my income?
It targets low incomes. The page lists $26,600 for one person, $38,000 for four and $51,200 for eight, which is about 50% AMI. Those figures may be outdated, and the page doesn't say whether City-built homes are available now, so the program is funding-dependent. Call the office at 803-774-1649 before you plan around it, and ask which homes are finished or under construction, since the help only applies to homes the City built.
If you earn more, the state options are broader. Sumter is a Made It Home! city, where SC Housing offers up to $25,000 in forgivable DPA, forgiven after 10 years, on a set number of new builder homes. That can't be combined with other SC Housing DPA. The year-round SC Housing Homebuyer Program adds $10,000 forgivable under the county's default limits of $114,960 for 1-2 people and $134,120 for 3 or more. Because Sumter County is a targeted county, repeat buyers qualify as long as they don't own a home at closing. Sumter School District teachers, Sumter Police and Sumter Fire staff, and active-duty and veteran buyers fit the Palmetto Heroes roles. Compare in the Sumter County guide or check your eligibility.
Buyers in Sumter may also turn to 5 statewide programs, Palmetto Heroes among them. You will find each one in the complete South Carolina list, or our program match can sort them for you.
Nearly every assistance program asks you to complete a homebuyer class before closing. The HUD-approved agencies below, each within reach of Sumter County, teach that class or offer counseling before purchase.
Agency
Location
Miles away
Offered
Languages
How it is taught
Southeastern Housing & Community Development Fka Southeastern Housing Foundation
Taken from HUD’s list of housing counseling agencies. A given program may not accept every class.
Unsure which class will count? A loan officer who offers South Carolina programs can tell you, and can begin your pre-approval at the same time. Begin my eligibility review
Questions about Sumter
How much can the City of Sumter program provide?
Up to a $3,000 closing-cost grant plus up to a $35,000 forgivable 0% deferred gap loan, on City-built homes.
Are the Sumter income limits current?
They may not be. The page shows about 50% AMI ($38,000 for a family of four), and the listing may be outdated. Confirm with the City.
Can I stack Made It Home! with the City program?
Made It Home! can't be combined with other SC Housing DPA. Ask the City and your lender how it interacts with the City gap loan.
Thank you. Your name is on the list.
We will write when it reopens. Would you like to see what you may qualify for in the meantime?
Good day, I'm Amy. See if you're eligible for down payment assistance in South Carolina. The review is six short questions, and I would be glad to start you on the right one.
