The Municipality of San Juan is seeking to expand access to its program for assisting first-time homebuyers by proposing changes to income and payment capacity requirements. Mayor Miguel A. Romero Lugo announced the presentation of Project of Ordinance No. 16, Series 2026-2027, which aims to modify the eligibility criteria of the Tu Casa en San Juan program.
The initiative would maintain economic assistance of up to 20% of the property’s purchase price, with a maximum of $50,000, to cover down payments and closing costs. The proposed changes include new annual income limits based on household size and a modification to the mortgage payment capacity parameter, increasing the percentage of monthly income that can go towards mortgage payments from 20-28% to 33-45%.
According to Lisaniz Figueroa Oyola, director of the Municipal Housing Department, these modifications would allow more families to benefit from the program and address the different economic realities of those seeking to acquire their first property in San Juan. The program is directed at individuals and families who can assume a mortgage but struggle to gather funds for down payments and closing costs.
The Municipal Housing Department administers the program and disburses the assistance directly to the financial institution at the time of purchase. The proposal still needs to go through the Municipal Legislature, and the changes announced should not be interpreted as already approved requirements. The Municipality will announce the date when it will begin receiving applications and the mechanisms that interested individuals should follow.