How does the shared appreciation work in the Pomona MAP program?

When you sell or otherwise trigger repayment, the City collects the original loan amount plus a share of your home's appreciation proportional to the City's assistance as a percentage of the original purchase price. However, 1/45th of that equity sharing obligation is forgiven for each full year you occupy the home. A buyer who stays 45 years has the entire equity sharing obligation forgiven. The longer you stay, the less the City collects at sale.

Who qualifies for the Pomona MAP program?

Applicants must be first-time homebuyers with no ownership interest in residential property during the past three years. Household income must be at or below 80 percent of the Los Angeles County area median income. The 2025 income limits are $84,850 for one person, $96,950 for two, $109,050 for three, and $121,150 for four. All adult household members are reviewed. HUD-approved homeownership counseling is required. A fixed-rate primary mortgage with a minimum 30-year term is required.

How long does the Pomona MAP application process take?

The City of Pomona's MAP approval process typically takes up to 30 days from a complete application submission. Incomplete applications are rejected outright. Escrow cannot close until the City has approved and reserved the funds. Buyers should begin the MAP application in parallel with their home search, not after they are already under contract, to avoid timeline conflicts.

Is the Pomona MAP program a grant?

No. The Pomona MAP is a deferred second mortgage, not a grant. The original loan amount is due at sale, refinance with cash out, title transfer, or at the end of 45 years. The shared appreciation component is progressively forgiven through annual occupancy credits, but buyers who sell before accumulating significant occupancy credits will owe the City the original principal plus their proportional share of appreciation at that point.

The Homebuyer’s Corner

What Is the City of Pomona Mortgage Assistance Program for First-Time Buyers?

Q: What is the City of Pomona Mortgage Assistance Program?

The City of Pomona Mortgage Assistance Program, known as MAP, provides eligible first-time homebuyers with up to $100,000 in down payment and closing cost assistance through a deferred silent second mortgage. There are no monthly payments. The loan is due when you sell, refinance with cash out, transfer title, or at the end of 45 years. The program includes a shared appreciation component that is progressively forgiven at 1/45th per year of continuous owner-occupancy.

Written by Armando Novelo, NMLS 237243, a mortgage loan officer in West Covina with over 20 years of experience helping Southern California buyers.

Folder labeled Pomona City Housing Program with house keys and a residential street in the background

Yes. The City of Pomona has one of the most distinctive down payment assistance programs in Los Angeles County. The Mortgage Assistance Program, known as MAP, provides eligible first-time homebuyers with up to $100,000 in down payment and closing cost assistance through a deferred second mortgage with no monthly payments and a 45-year term. That 45-year deferral period is the longest of any city-level program in the county, and the built-in equity forgiveness structure sets it apart from almost every other program available in the SGV.

Before anyone gets excited about the headline number and signs on the dotted line, the program deserves a clear explanation. The MAP is not a grant and it is not simply forgiven with time. It is a partnership with the City that includes a shared appreciation component, and understanding exactly how that works before you commit is essential.

How the Pomona MAP Loan Actually Works

The MAP loan is structured as a silent second mortgage. It sits behind your primary mortgage as a second lien with no monthly payment. You do not owe anything on it month to month while you are living in the home. The balance becomes due when you sell the property, refinance with cash out, transfer title, or reach the end of the 45-year term.

Here is what makes the Pomona program genuinely different from most city programs. The equity sharing component is forgiven progressively over the life of the loan. For each full year that you occupy the home as your primary residence, 1/45th of the calculated shared appreciation is forgiven. Stay for 45 years and the entire equity sharing obligation is forgiven. Stay for 22 years and roughly half of it is forgiven. The longer you stay, the less the City collects at sale.

The shared appreciation itself is calculated based on the percentage of City assistance relative to your original purchase price. If the City provided $80,000 on a $640,000 purchase, that is 12.5 percent of the purchase price. When you sell, the City collects 12.5 percent of your appreciation, minus whatever portion of that has been forgiven through annual occupancy credits.

This is a meaningfully different structure from La Puente's program, which shares appreciation without a forgiveness mechanism, and from Azusa's CalHome, which forgives principal but does not share appreciation. Pomona's structure does both, forgives the equity sharing progressively and defers the principal for 45 years. For buyers who plan to stay long term, the program gets more favorable the longer they hold. We covered how these different program structures compare in this article, specifically in the section explaining deferred loans versus shared equity programs.

Who Qualifies

Pomona's MAP is targeted at low-income first-time buyers. Household income must be at or below 80 percent of the Los Angeles County area median income, adjusted for household size. The 2025 income limits, which remain the reference point as of mid-2026, are $84,850 for a one-person household, $96,950 for two people, $109,050 for three, and $121,150 for four. Income from all adult household members is counted and every adult is reviewed.

First-time buyer status is required, meaning no ownership interest in residential property during the past three years.

HUD-approved homeownership counseling, the full eight-hour course, is required before closing. We covered how to complete that requirement in this article, specifically in the section explaining which programs require it and how to get it done efficiently.

The property must be a single-family home or detached condominium within Pomona city limits and must be your primary residence. It cannot be used as a rental, investment property, or vacation home. Title must meet specific ownership requirements and cannot be held in a trust. Properties must pass inspection and cannot have major code violations outstanding at the time of closing.

A fixed-rate first mortgage with a minimum 30-year term is required. The City does not specify a minimum cash contribution from the buyer, but the primary lender's requirements still apply.

What the Process Looks Like and How Long It Takes

The application process runs through the City of Pomona Housing Division at 909-620-2368 or by visiting the Housing Services office at 505 S. Garey Avenue. The process begins with the buyer working with a participating lender to get pre-qualified for a first mortgage, completing the HUD homebuyer education course, and then applying through the City with a complete documentation package.

Complete is the operative word. Incomplete applications are rejected outright and not returned for corrections. Every item on the checklist needs to be in the packet before the City will begin its review. The City's approval process typically takes up to 30 days from a complete submission. Escrow cannot close until the City has reviewed, approved, and reserved the funds for the transaction.

That timeline means buyers should be working on the MAP application in parallel with their home search and purchase process, not after they have already opened escrow and discovered the deadline. Getting the documentation organized early, before you are under contract, is what keeps the process from stalling.

I worked with a buyer in Pomona who came to me already in escrow on a property before she had started the MAP application. She had assumed the City process would be quick because she had heard it was common. It took three weeks longer than her original escrow timeline anticipated and she had to negotiate a contract extension with the seller. Everything closed but it was more stressful than it needed to be. When buyers start the City application in parallel with their home search rather than after they are already in contract, that kind of pressure disappears. For a broader look at all the assistance available across Southern California alongside this program, this article covers the full landscape, particularly the section on city-level programs.

Is the Pomona MAP Program Worth It

That depends entirely on how long you plan to stay.

For buyers who intend to live in the home for ten or more years, the MAP program is a strong tool. You are getting up to $100,000 in assistance with no monthly payment, and the equity sharing obligation forgives progressively the longer you stay. A buyer who stays 20 years has already had nearly half the shared appreciation obligation eliminated through annual credits.

For buyers who plan to sell within a few years, the shared appreciation comes due before much forgiveness has accumulated and the City collects a meaningful percentage of your equity growth on top of the original loan balance. In that scenario the math needs to be run carefully before committing.

The question to ask before you apply is not can I get $100,000 in assistance. It is what does the City collect when I sell given how long I realistically plan to stay, and does getting in now with that obligation still make more financial sense than waiting and saving more on my own. Run both scenarios. The answer is often yes, but it should come from the numbers, not from the headline figure.

Armando Novelo, NMLS 237243, is a mortgage loan officer at Super Mortgage Bros, powered by Golden Empire Mortgage. He has been helping Southern California buyers and homeowners since 2002. His office is located in West Covina, CA.

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Article Published: August 6, 2026

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Armando Novelo

NMLS 237243

Super Mortgage Bros

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West Covina, CA 91790

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