State Housing Agency Credit Score Requirements 2026: Every Agency Compared
The national floor is 620 (Texas, Virginia, parts of New York). The dominant standard is 640. CalHFA conventional pairs push 660+. But the agency floor is only half the story — lender overlays decide what you can actually close.
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620
National Floor
TX, VA, NY
640
Dominant Standard
most agencies
660+
Highest Bar
CalHFA conv pairs
580+
FHA w/o DPA
fallback lane
Minimum Credit Scores by Agency — October 2026
| Agency | Min Score | Note | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSAHC (Texas) | 620 | Lowest bar + repeat buyers OK | Full guide → |
| Virginia Housing (VA) | 620-640 | 620 on some pairs — East Coast's lowest | Full guide → |
| SONYMA (New York) | 620-640 | Varies by program pairing | Full guide → |
| CalHFA (California) | 640-660 | Conventional pairs lean 660+ | Full guide → |
| MSHDA (Michigan) | 640 | Flat across MI Home Loan | Full guide → |
| MMP (Maryland) | 640 | 640 across Flex/Advantage | Full guide → |
| IHDA (Illinois) | 640 | All Access structures | Full guide → |
| NCHFA (North Carolina) | 640 | NC Home Advantage | Full guide → |
| MHDC (Missouri) | 640 | First Place/Next Step | Full guide → |
| PHFA (Pennsylvania) | 640 | Keystone products | Full guide → |
| Georgia Dream (GA) | 640 | All tiers incl. PEN/CHOICE | Full guide → |
| Florida HFC (FL) | 640 | Florida First + DPA pairs | Full guide → |
| THDA (Tennessee) | 640 | Great Choice products | Full guide → |
Agency-published minimums as of Oct 2026 — lender overlays frequently sit above these floors. Verify each agency\'s current guide. Or check your real approval amount →
The Overlay Problem: Agency Says 640, Lender Wants 680
Two gates, not one. The agency floor qualifies you for the PROGRAM — the participating lender\'s overlay qualifies you for the LOAN. An agency at 640 can still mean 660-680 in practice at specific lenders.
Overlays vary — shop them. Two lenders on the same MMP or IHDA program can carry different score floors. If a lender bounces you at 640 on an agency product, another participating lender may not — ask before accepting the denial.
FHA pairs are the safety net. Government-paired agency loans (FHA/VA/USDA) typically carry looser overlays than conventional pairs — the same agency, two different real-world floors.
Quick check: 580-640? The overlay gap is where agency stacks die — see who lends at your score.
Score Bands: What Each Unlocks
580-619
FHA loan without agency DPA; manual UW with alternative credit possible. Agency DPA mostly off the table — spike the score first.
620-639
TSAHC, Virginia Housing, SONYMA pairs. The narrow window where agency DPA is still reachable — geography decides.
640-659
The standard: MSHDA, MMP, IHDA, NCHFA, MHDC, PHFA, Georgia Dream, Florida HFC, THDA all open.
660-679
CalHFA conventional pairs join the menu; every agency option nationwide is reachable.
680+
Full menu — BUT compare agency vs market: flat agency rates may lose to pricing a 720+ borrower gets on standard conventional.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What's the lowest credit score any state housing agency accepts?
620 — TSAHC (Texas), Virginia Housing, and parts of SONYMA's menu. That's the true national floor for state-agency DPA in October 2026. The dominant standard is 640 across most agencies (MSHDA, MMP, IHDA, NCHFA, MHDC, PHFA, Georgia Dream, Florida HFC, THDA); CalHFA conventional pairs run 660+.Check my score free →
Q2. My score is 625 — do I have options?
Yes — but geographically narrow. Texas (TSAHC) and Virginia (VH) accept 620; SONYMA pairs can hit 620-640. Outside those states, a 625 misses the 640 standard — your play is a score-spike sprint (a rapid rescore after paying down revolving balances can move 15-30 points in 30-45 days) or an FHA loan at 580+ without agency DPA.FHA pre-approval at 580+ →
Q3. Is the agency minimum the real minimum?
No — lender overlays sit on top. The agency may say 640 while participating lenders want 660-680 on conventional pairs. The agency floor is the gate to the PROGRAM; the lender's overlay is the gate to the LOAN. Shop participating lenders — overlays vary even on the same program.
Q4. Which score do they use — the middle score?
Mortgage lending uses the lower of the two or middle of the three bureau scores — agencies follow the same convention. A 640 Equifax / 655 TransUnion / 668 Experian = 655 qualifying score. Check all three before assuming you're under the bar.See my scores — free →
Q5. Does a higher score get me a better agency rate?
Usually not — state agency rates are typically FLAT: 640 and 740 borrowers get the same posted rate. That's the agency value proposition. It also means a 720 borrower might price better on a standard conventional loan — compare both before defaulting to the agency lane.Compare agency vs market rate →
Q6. What if I have no credit score at all?
Thin-file borrowers can sometimes qualify on alternative credit (rent, utilities, insurance history) under manual underwriting — especially on FHA-paired agency loans. Not every participating lender does manual UW; ask specifically.
All Agency Guides
620 vs 640 vs 660 — Geography Decides Your Floor
Know your score, know your state, know the overlay. Check all three free.