Receive 5% of your loan amount — between $10,000 and $35,000 — in down payment and closing cost assistance.
Verify Your Hometown Heroes Eligibility
The Hometown Heroes Program helps Florida’s frontline workers buy their first home — healthcare staff, K-12 school employees, first responders, law enforcement, court and childcare workers, and military members and veterans. You get a competitive 30-year fixed mortgage rate plus down payment and closing cost assistance, and the standard 1% origination fee is waived — saving you thousands more at closing.
Eligibility comes down to who employs you and where you work — not your job title. A cafeteria worker or janitor at a hospital or K-12 school qualifies; a fully remote employee does not.
The program comes in two versions: TBA counts only the income of the borrowers on the loan, while Bond counts the income of everyone in the household aged 18 and older — including a spouse who isn’t on the loan. New for 2026, Fannie Mae (HFA Preferred) conventional loans are available only through Bond; TBA offers FHA, USDA-RD, VA, and Freddie Mac (HFA Advantage). Your loan specialist will match you with whichever version fits you better.
The program will reduce the upfront costs for homebuyers by providing zero-interest loans to help with down payment and closing costs.
5% Of the TOTAL Loan Amount capped at $35,000, with a minimum of $10,000 in down payment and closing cost assistance. For example, borrowers with a loan amount of $200,000 or less would receive an automatic $10,000.
0%, non-amortizing, 30-year, repayable second mortgage.
The Hometown Heroes Loan is not forgivable. Repayment is deferred, except in the event of sale, transfer, satisfaction of the first mortgage, refinancing of the property or until such a time the mortgagor ceases to occupy the property at which time, the Hometown Heroes Second Mortgage Loan will become payable in full.
ALL borrowers are restricted to a one-time participation in FL Housing’s Homebuyer Loan Programs. This includes all first and second mortgage programs.
The Hometown Heroes second mortgage is a 0% interest loan with no monthly payments — but it is a loan, not a grant. The full amount is repaid when you sell, refinance, transfer the deed, pay off your first mortgage, or move out. There is no cost to apply, and no prepayment penalty.
Note - Florida Housing’s DPA cannot be combined with another FL Housing DPA program.
The property the borrower(s) is purchasing will be their primary residence and they will be a Florida resident. Owner occupied only with borrower’s intent to occupy property as their primary residence within 60 days of closing.
Borrower(s) must currently work full-time for an eligible Florida-based employer with a physical (brick-and-mortar) location they work from or report to. Remote/work-from-home employees are not eligible; hybrid employees qualify only if on-site at least 3 days per week. Veterans (with a valid DD-214) do not need an eligible-type employer but must still be employed full-time by a Florida-based employer. ONLY one occupying borrower must satisfy this requirement. Offer letters are not accepted — employment must be current.
Occupying borrower(s), must not have had an ownership interest in their primary residence within the last three years unless purchasing in a Federally Designated Targeted Area OR if qualifying under the Veteran’s Exemption.
Borrower(s) must not exceed the maximum Income Limit requirements, household size, for the county in which the property is being purchased. BOND considers the Household Income. Therefore, all gross income of occupants aged 18 and older must be considered. TBA considers the Credit Qualifying Income or AUS income.
One borrower (primary borrower) must complete a Program-approved, in-person or online, PRE-PURCHASE, homebuyer education course. Certificates of completion are acceptable for 2 years from the date of completion. Veterans and Active-Duty military are exempt unless using a conventional (HFA Preferred/Advantage) loan. Co-Signors do not have to attend HBE.
Offers eligible borrowers a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage. This first mortgage also offers reduced Mortgage Insurance (MI) premium for borrowers with income at or below 80% of AMI. Borrowers with income above 80% AMI will pay standard mortgage insurance.
Note - Prepayments is permitted at any time without penalty.
A Copy of VOE confirming borrower works from a FL location or a letter from employer confirming borrower works from a FL location is required.
Paystubs confirming 40 hours a week is acceptable, but if paystubs do not reflect 40 hours, a written or verbal Verification of Employment (VOE), or a letter from employer verifying full-time will be required.
Self-Employed borrower(s) must provide letter from CPA, book keeper or tax preparer validating borrower works full-time. A Letter of Explanation (LOX) from the borrower attesting they are full-time is not acceptable.
Straight answers to the most common questions about the 2026 Florida Hometown Heroes Program.
The 2026 program launches Monday, July 13, 2026 at 10:00 AM EST with $50 million in funding. Funds are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis through participating lenders, so getting your eligibility verified before launch day puts you at the front of the line.
You receive 5% of your first mortgage loan amount, with a minimum of $10,000 and a maximum of $35,000, to use toward your down payment and closing costs. Because of the $10,000 minimum, loans of $200,000 or less automatically receive the full $10,000 — more than 5%.
Yes — it's a 0% interest, 30-year second mortgage with no monthly payments, but it is a loan, not a grant. The full amount is repaid when you sell, refinance, transfer the deed, pay off your first mortgage, or stop living in the home. There's no prepayment penalty, so you can pay it off early at any time.
You may qualify if you're a first-time homebuyer purchasing a primary residence in Florida, with a credit score of at least 640, income within your county's limit, and at least one borrower on the loan working full-time for an eligible Florida-based employer — including hospitals and healthcare facilities, K-12 schools, fire departments, law enforcement agencies, courts, licensed childcare facilities, and the military.
No — eligibility is based on who employs you and where you work, not your job title. A cafeteria worker or janitor at a hospital or K-12 school qualifies, while a cashier at a retail pharmacy does not. If you work at an eligible Florida facility, it's worth checking your eligibility no matter what your role is.
Fully remote employees are not eligible. Hybrid employees can qualify if they report to their employer's Florida brick-and-mortar location at least 3 days per week.
Yes. Veterans with a DD-214 (discharged other than dishonorably) are exempt from the first-time homebuyer requirement and can work full-time for any Florida-based employer — no eligible-occupation requirement. Active-duty service members, reservists, and Florida National Guard members qualify with a current LES.
Note that veterans must still be employed full-time — retired veterans without a job do not qualify.
Generally yes — you can't have owned a primary residence in the last 3 years. There are two exceptions: veterans with a valid DD-214, and buyers purchasing in a federally designated targeted area.
A minimum 640 FICO score for all loan types (manual underwrites require 660). The maximum debt-to-income ratio is 50% with automated underwriting approval.
Income limits vary by county — most Florida counties allow well over $100,000, and high-cost counties like Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach allow even more. The Bond version of the program counts total household income, while the TBA version counts only the borrower's qualifying income.
Check your eligibility to see where you stand in your county.
They're two versions of the same program with the same 5% assistance. Bond counts household income (all occupants 18 and older) and has lower income limits; TBA counts only the borrower's qualifying income and has higher limits. In 2026, Fannie Mae (HFA Preferred) conventional loans are available exclusively through Bond, while both versions offer FHA, USDA-RD, VA, and Freddie Mac (HFA Advantage) options.
Rates differ between the two and change daily — your loan officer will help you pick the better fit.
Yes, with strict rules: you must work full-time for one 1099 employer with a physical Florida location you report to (multiple part-time 1099 jobs can't be combined), and you'll need a letter from a CPA, bookkeeper, or tax preparer confirming you work full-time, plus your most recent signed tax return. A home office, virtual office, or registered-agent address doesn't count as a qualifying location.
No — there is never a cost to apply for Hometown Heroes assistance. Be wary of anyone charging upfront fees for access to the program; report scams to the Florida Housing Inspector General at (850) 488-4197.
The program also waives the 1% origination fee charged on standard first mortgages, saving you thousands at closing.
Single-family homes, townhomes, condos, 2–4 unit properties (at least 5 years old — you live in one unit), and manufactured homes. The home must be in Florida, a purchase (no refinances), and your primary residence — you must move in within 60 days of closing.
Hometown Heroes is the only second mortgage allowed with the program's first mortgage, and it can't be combined with any other Florida Housing down payment assistance program. Borrowers may participate in a Florida Housing homebuyer program only once.
Yes — one borrower must complete a Program-approved, pre-purchase homebuyer education course (online or in-person). Certificates are valid for 2 years. Veterans and active-duty military are exempt unless using a conventional (HFA Preferred/Advantage) loan.
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