Let me back up and say the honest thing first: the "ADU grant" search results are one of the messiest corners of this whole topic. Half the pages quote a program that closed years ago, and a few quote one that never existed. The biggest grant, California's, has been shut to new applicants since December 28, 2023. Real money for homeowners does exist, but it is local, it is specific, and most of it is a loan wearing the word grant.
One note on what this page is. I build ADUs, I do not lend money, and I take no referral fees from anyone who does. Every status and figure below is dated and linked to its own official source, because these programs open, close, and run out of money fast. Everything here is current as of September 11, 2026.
The by-state picture, at a glance
Here is every jurisdiction I could verify, side by side. Then I take them one at a time with the real terms and the official link. Read the status column as of September 11, 2026, and click through before you rely on any of it.
| State or city | Program | Who it helps | Status (as of September 11, 2026) | Official link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | CalHFA statewide ADU grant | Homeowners (soft costs only, when open) | Closed since Dec 28, 2023 | calhfa.ca.gov/adu |
| Massachusetts | MassHousing ADU Loan Program | Homeowners at or below 135% AMI | Applications opened Mar 17, 2026 (a loan, not a grant) | masshousing.com |
| Boston | ADU Financial Assistance | Homeowners (grant plus 0% deferred loan) | Active | boston.gov |
| Colorado | DOLA ADUG grant plus CHFA finance programs | DOLA to local governments; CHFA to homeowners via lenders | DOLA Round 2 Feb 2 to 27, 2026; CHFA rolling out through spring 2026 | dlg.colorado.gov |
| Oregon | Portland SDC waiver (no statewide grant) | Portland homeowners (fee waiver, with a covenant) | SDC waiver active; the "$40,000 Oregon grant" is a myth | portland.gov |
| Washington | Property-tax exemption (no grant) | Homeowners (tax relief, not cash) | No ADU grant to apply for | commerce.wa.gov |
| Nevada | None confirmed | Nobody, for now | Could not confirm any state or Clark County program | None to link |
Statuses reflect each program's official page as checked on September 11, 2026. Programs with first-come funding can close between checks, so treat this as a starting map, not a guarantee.
California: the big grant is closed
California ran the largest ADU grant in the country, and it is the reason so many people search for one. The statewide CalHFA ADU grant paid up to $40,000 toward pre-development soft costs, never hard construction. It has been closed to new applications since December 28, 2023, and the official CalHFA ADU page still carries both that notice and a blunt warning: if anyone approaches you saying they can help you get an ADU grant, it is a financial scam. No new funded round has been announced as of September 11, 2026.
California is not empty, though. The live help is local now, led by San Diego, and it comes with real trade-offs like affordability covenants. I keep the full California story on its own page so this one stays focused on the national picture. Read the complete California ADU grant guide and the live alternatives for the detail.
Massachusetts: the strongest new program, and it is a loan
Massachusetts now leads on statewide financing, but I want to be precise about the word grant here, because this one is not a grant. The MassHousing ADU Loan Program opened for applications on March 17, 2026, and it is a second mortgage that finances new ADU construction. The mass.gov press release dated 3/17/2026 confirms eligible homeowners could begin applying that day.
The structure is two loans stacked. For a detached ADU, up to $200,000 amortizing plus $50,000 deferred, so $250,000 total. For an attached or interior ADU, up to $100,000 amortizing plus $50,000 deferred, so $150,000 total. The amortizing portion runs 5.25% over 20 years, matched with 0%-interest deferred funding that pulls the blended rate down to roughly 3% on a full detached draw. That is a subsidized number you will not find on the open market right now.
The limits matter. Total financing cannot exceed 95% of the after-construction appraised value. Eligibility is a primary-residence single-family home, income at or below 135% of area median, and a 640 minimum credit score. It is funded by a $5 million opportunity fund that closes when the money is committed, so this is a first-come program. Worth applying early if you qualify, but do not treat the fund as bottomless.
Boston: a real grant plus a 0% loan
Boston runs its own program on top of the state one, and this is the closest thing to a true grant on the list. The Boston ADU Financial Assistance program is active as of September 11, 2026. It pairs a Technical Assistance Grant of up to $7,500 for soft costs with an ADU Loan of up to $50,000 at 0% interest, deferred until you sell, transfer, or do a cash-out refinance.
Below 120% of area median income there is no owner match required. Between 120% and 135% AMI, the city asks for a 1:1 match. One correction worth flagging: some older write-ups still cite a $30,000 loan cap. The current Boston.gov figure is up to $50,000, so use that and ignore the stale number.
Colorado: two tracks, and only one reaches homeowners directly
Colorado built a two-track system under HB24-1152, and it is easy to get the two confused, so here is the clean version. Track one is a grant, but it does not go to you. The DOLA ADU Grant Program (ADUG) is a $5 million pot that goes to local governments, not homeowners. Round 2 opens February 2, 2026 and closes February 27, 2026, and applicant jurisdictions put up a 25% local cash match. Homeowners benefit only indirectly, through things like pre-approved plans and fee waivers their city funds with it.
Track two is the one that can reach your wallet. Colorado's CHFA ADU Finance Programs route money to homeowners through lenders. The Relending piece launched in December 2025, and the Credit Enhancement and Interest Rate Buydown pieces roll out to lenders in early 2026, reaching borrowers through spring 2026. Borrowers must be at or below 140% of statewide area median income and inside a certified "ADU Supportive Jurisdiction." You can read the program details on CHFA's ADU finance page. The thing to hold onto: the DOLA grant does not go directly to homeowners, so do not apply expecting a check.
Oregon: the "$40,000 grant" is a myth
This is the one I most want to set straight. There is no statewide Oregon homeowner ADU grant, verified September 11, 2026. The widespread blog claim of an "Oregon ADU Grant Program up to $40,000" is not supported by any official Oregon state source. It reads like a garbled copy of California's old CalHFA grant, right down to the dollar figure, and repeating it just sends homeowners chasing money that does not exist. Call it what it is: misinformation.
What is real is Portland's ADU SDC Waiver, which is active with no expiration. It waives system development charges (water, parks, transportation, sewer), which is genuine money saved, but it comes with a string: a binding, recorded 10-year covenant that the ADU will not be used as a short-term rental. Break it and you owe 150% of the current SDC fees. There is also a Portland ADU Loan Program, but it is a pilot and its current open or closed status is unconfirmed against an undated city FAQ. I would verify that one with the city before relying on it, and I would not assume it is open.
Washington: no grant, a tax break instead
Washington has no confirmed statewide homeowner ADU grant or loan to apply for. Say it plainly, because a lot of pages imply otherwise. The incentives here are tax and regulatory. The state Department of Commerce notes a possible three-year property-tax exemption when an ADU improvement represents 30% or less of the home's pre-remodel assessed value, which you can confirm at commerce.wa.gov. That helps your carrying cost, but it is not cash toward the build, and there is no Washington ADU grant program sitting behind it.
Nevada: the honest negative
Sometimes the truthful answer is that there is nothing, and Nevada is that case. I could not confirm any ADU-specific state, Clark County, or Las Vegas grant or loan program as of September 11, 2026. The state has loosened owner-occupancy rules and the Las Vegas area has grown more ADU-friendly, but the financing itself is left to conventional products: a HELOC, a home equity loan, a renovation loan, or a construction loan. If you are in Nevada, verify directly with Clark County or the Nevada Housing Division in case something new launches, then plan on a regular loan.
So what should you actually do?
If you are in Massachusetts, Boston, or Colorado, check the official program page linked above and apply while funding lasts, since the good ones are first-come. If you are in California, read the California page for the live local options. Everywhere else, plan on a normal loan and size it to a real number. Our ADU financing hub walks the loan options and the 2026 rental-income rules that change who qualifies, and you can price your own build with our ADU cost pages or run a cost estimate for your lot before you shop financing.
Frequently asked questions
Are there grants to build an ADU?
A few real ones exist, but far fewer than the internet implies, and most of what you read is stale or wrong. As of September 11, 2026, the genuinely live homeowner-facing help is local: Boston runs a grant plus a 0% deferred loan, Massachusetts opened a statewide ADU loan (not a pure grant) on March 17, 2026, and Colorado's CHFA is routing money to homeowners through lenders. California's statewide CalHFA grant has been closed since December 28, 2023. Everywhere else, "grant" usually means a fee waiver, a tax break, or nothing at all.
Which states actually have ADU grants in 2026?
Massachusetts and Colorado are the two states with real, current homeowner programs, though Massachusetts is a subsidized loan rather than a grant and Colorado's cash mostly flows through lenders. Boston has its own city grant on top of the state program. California had the biggest grant, but it is closed. Washington, Oregon, and Nevada have no statewide homeowner ADU grant you can apply for as of September 11, 2026. Always check the official program page before you count on any of them.
Is there an Oregon ADU grant?
No. The widely repeated blog claim of an "Oregon ADU Grant Program up to $40,000" is not supported by any official Oregon state source, and it appears to be a garbled version of California's old CalHFA grant. Verified September 11, 2026, Oregon Housing and Community Services runs no ADU-specific homeowner grant. What is real is Portland's SDC waiver, which waives system development charges in exchange for a recorded 10-year covenant against short-term renting the unit.
Does California still have the ADU grant?
Not for new applicants. The CalHFA statewide ADU grant has been closed since December 28, 2023, with no funded round announced since, and CalHFA itself warns that anyone promising to get you that grant is running a scam. The live California help is local now, led by San Diego. I keep the full California story, including the alternatives, on a separate page linked below rather than repeating it here.
Can I get an ADU grant as a homeowner if none exists in my state?
Sometimes the honest answer is no, and it is better to hear that than to chase a program that does not exist. In Nevada, for example, I could not confirm any state or Clark County ADU grant or loan as of September 11, 2026, so financing there is conventional: home equity, a renovation loan, or a construction loan. Check with your state housing agency and county first, then size a real loan to a real build number rather than budgeting around a grant you may never get.
If I were starting today, I would stop searching for a grant and start with my real build number, then check whether one of these few live programs fits before I shop a loan. Begin with a cost estimate for your lot.
Education, not financial advice. I am a builder, not a lender or advisor. Program terms and rates move, so confirm every figure against the official source linked next to it before you count on it.