Some applicants may receive relocation benefits or qualify for separate homebuyer assistance. A package estimate is not a guaranteed cash payment. MakeMyMove has distinct remote-work and local-employment routes, and assistance programs have their own lender, property and repayment rules.
Two offers are especially easy to misread.
The remote-worker MakeMyMove page displays conflicting package values. We have omitted the total rather than treat either number as a promise. Some benefits are memberships or services; its housing component requires separate approval.
IHCDA’s First Step web summary and its currently linked program guide also disagree on the assistance percentage. Ask a participating lender for the terms that can actually be reserved before comparing offers. An assistance loan can change both cash needed at closing and future repayment obligations.
Which programs should I investigate?
Answer a few broad questions. We do not collect your income, credit score, address or financial documents. This tool points to programs to review; it does not determine eligibility.
The program directory
Active means currently advertised with an application or lender route. Remaining funds and individual approval are not confirmed. Closed programs stay visible so an old article does not lead you to assume they are open.
Fort Wayne Remote Worker Incentives
MakeMyMove with community sponsors
Electric Works coworking for one year; museum family access for one month; networking invitation. Hoosier Homes assistance requires separate approval.
Requirements, timing & questions to ask
Age 18+; at least $50,000 annual earnings; currently outside Indiana; portable full-time employment or self-employment retaining clients; move primary residence to Fort Wayne within six months; provide proof.
Apply through MakeMyMove, obtain preapproval, verify eligibility, accept formal offer, then move and report arrival.
Page values conflict; housing component estimates depend on a qualifying purchase. No guaranteed cash payment identified.
Timing: No universal deadline verified. Ask about the current intake and remaining funds.
Still to verify
- Remaining places
- Minimum stay
- Six-month clock start
- Final sponsor terms
- Benefit redemption deadlines
Forge Ahead: In-Person Jobs in Fort Wayne
MakeMyMove with community sponsors
Museum access and networking, plus independently approved Hoosier Homes assistance.
Requirements, timing & questions to ask
Currently outside Indiana and earning at least $20,000; obtain Allen County full-time employment paying at least $50,000 annually throughout the program term; relocate primary residence to Allen County within six months; document employment and residence. Remote, gig and self-employed workers are excluded.
A job offer is not required to start the application; qualifying full-time employment is required for benefits.
Displayed package estimate includes separately qualified home-purchase assistance; it is not a uniform cash payment.
Timing: No universal deadline verified. Ask about the current intake and remaining funds.
Still to verify
- Program-term length
- Remaining places
- Individual award
- Exact move-clock start
Move to the Northeast Indiana Region
MakeMyMove with participating communities
Regional museum/networking benefits, separate housing assistance and locally assembled extras.
Requirements, timing & questions to ask
Age 18+; earnings at least $50,000; portable full-time employment or self-employment; primary-residence relocation within six months to a participating northeast Indiana community; documentary verification.
Contact the program operator for the current application process.
Timing: No universal deadline verified. Ask about the current intake and remaining funds.
Still to verify
- Public regional eligibility list does not state the outside-Indiana rule seen on Fort Wayne's separate program; do not infer either eligibility or ineligibility for current Indiana residents.
- Local extras vary; no uniform cash amount verified.
- Stacking with Fort Wayne offers not verified.
IHCDA First Step
Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority through participating lenders
Down-payment support attached to a 30-year FHA or conventional mortgage; assistance is a repayable second mortgage.
Requirements, timing & questions to ask
Generally first-time buyers, with targeted-census-tract and military exceptions; property, income and lender review apply.
Ask an IHCDA participating lender for the currently reservable terms.
Currently offered, but official sources disagree about the assistance percentage.
Timing: No universal deadline verified. Ask about the current intake and remaining funds.
IHCDA Next Home
Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority through participating lenders
2.5% or 3.5% down-payment assistance under the current program menu; calculated on purchase price without exceeding appraised value; 30-year FHA or conventional financing.
How the assistance works: Non-forgivable second mortgage. Current guide requires full repayment when the first mortgage terminates or the property ceases being the primary residence.
Requirements, timing & questions to ask
First-time and repeat buyers may apply; income, property and underwriting requirements remain.
Use an IHCDA participating lender.
Timing: No universal deadline verified. Ask about the current intake and remaining funds.
Still to verify
- Borrower-specific terms
- Current rate
- Funding availability
IHCDA Step Down
Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority through participating lenders
Rate-only purchase program; no down-payment assistance.
Requirements, timing & questions to ask
First-time buyer framework, with targeted-area and military exceptions.
Contact the program operator for the current application process.
Timing: No universal deadline verified. Ask about the current intake and remaining funds.
IHCDA First Place
Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority
Historical program; exclude from current new-purchase recommendations.
Requirements, timing & questions to ask
Current guide identifies First Place as ended. Next Step serves refinancing of existing eligible IHCDA loans, rather than a new-mover purchase incentive.
Contact the program operator for the current application process.
Timing: Ended 2023-12-31
Hoosier Homes
Fort Wayne Housing Authority sponsor; Club 720 program platform and approved lenders
Up to 5% assistance for down payment and closing expenses through a seven-year forgivable second loan; no interest or payments on that second loan are advertised.
Requirements, timing & questions to ask
First-time and repeat buyers; approved county including Allen; published 620+ credit threshold; county income limits; eligible home type; first-time buyers complete education; approved lender required.
Contact the program operator for the current application process.
Timing: No universal deadline verified. Ask about the current intake and remaining funds.
Still to verify
- Borrower-specific amount and full forgiveness conditions
- Stacking with other assistance
- Funding remaining
Brightpoint Home Advantage
Brightpoint Development Fund and MidWest America Federal Credit Union
Mortgage-access pilot advertising loans up to $225,000 and financing up to appraised value, with limited improvement financing. This is financing, not a relocation grant.
Requirements, timing & questions to ask
Primary-residence purchase; Brightpoint referral and counseling; lender underwriting; household income no more than 120% AMI; published 580 credit threshold, manageable debt and at least $1,500 toward closing. Exceptions require staff review.
Start with Brightpoint; the credit union approves and services loans.
Pilot has current application and contact route; remaining capacity unverified.
Timing: No universal deadline verified. Ask about the current intake and remaining funds.
Still to verify
- Current capacity
- Household-specific income limit
- Borrower rate and approval
a LOT to LOVE - Phase 2 (2026)
City of Fort Wayne Community Development
Discounted city lots and competitively awarded development support for infill projects.
Requirements, timing & questions to ask
Project feasibility and financial capacity; prospective owner-builders must partner with a builder/developer.
Contact the program operator for the current application process.
Timing: Applications closed March 26, 2026, 11:59 PM; review scheduled from March 30.
Still to verify
- Future application round
- Final awards
- Remaining lots
FHLBank Indianapolis Launch Down Payment Assistance (2026)
FHLBank Indianapolis through participating member institutions
Closed round offered up to $20,000 for approved purchase-related expenses.
Requirements, timing & questions to ask
First-time buyers at or below 80% AMI through a participating institution; FHLBank does not take household applications directly.
Contact the program operator for the current application process.
Timing: 2026 funds exhausted; no future opening verified.
Habitat Greater Fort Wayne - Allen County homeownership applications
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Fort Wayne
Homeownership partnership with a mortgage; not a free house or mover payment.
Requirements, timing & questions to ask
Allen County applications currently closed. Separate Huntington/Wells opening requires having lived or worked there for the past 12 months.
Operator offers homeownership news signup for future Allen County openings.
Timing: No universal deadline verified. Ask about the current intake and remaining funds.
City HOME-funded homebuyer assistance
City of Fort Wayne Office of Housing and Neighborhood Services and partner organizations
City reports document project-linked HOME assistance; an open general cash award for new applicants was not verified.
Requirements, timing & questions to ask
Current open intake, administering partner and award terms require OHNS confirmation.
Contact the program operator for the current application process.
Timing: No universal deadline verified. Ask about the current intake and remaining funds.
Still to verify
- Current citywide intake
- Current award cap
- Available funds
- Partner application route
Brightpoint Energy Assistance Program
Brightpoint
Seasonal assistance toward heating bills, separate from relocation incentives.
Requirements, timing & questions to ask
Income and documentation requirements; Allen County served.
Contact the program operator for the current application process.
Timing: 2027 program-year applications scheduled to open October 1, 2026.
Brightpoint Supportive Services for Veteran Families
Brightpoint
Housing navigation and possible rent, security-deposit or utility-deposit support.
Requirements, timing & questions to ask
Veteran households experiencing homelessness or at risk; income requirements; Allen County included.
Contact Brightpoint at 260-423-3546 ext. 332.
Timing: No universal deadline verified. Ask about the current intake and remaining funds.
Before you apply
- Get the current written terms and application sequence before signing or moving.
- Separate cash, memberships, reimbursements and loans when comparing the benefit.
- Ask what is repaid after a sale, refinance, move-out or employment change.
- Ask whether two programs can be combined. Their appearance in the same guide does not mean they stack.
- Submit financial records only through the program or lender’s secure channel.
This editorial guide is not a lender, grant administrator or eligibility decision. Application review belongs to the program operator.