Navigating the Florida Hometown Heroes Program

What Is the Florida Hometown Heroes Program?

The Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program, run by Florida Housing Finance Corporation, helps eligible Floridians buy a primary residence by pairing a competitive first mortgage with down payment and closing cost assistance. It launched in 2022 to help essential community workers afford a home in the state they serve — and in 2023 it was expanded so that nearly any full-time Florida worker can qualify.

For a deeper, always-current overview of the program, see our dedicated Florida Hometown Heroes Program page.

How Much Down Payment Assistance Can You Get?

The program provides up to 5% of your first mortgage loan amount, capped at $35,000, to use toward your down payment and closing costs. The assistance is structured as a:

• 0% interest second mortgage — no interest ever accrues.
• Non-amortizing and deferred — you make no monthly payments on it.
• Repaid later — the balance comes due only when you sell, refinance, pay off the first mortgage, or the home stops being your primary residence.

In practice, that means the assistance sits quietly behind your main loan and doesn't raise your monthly payment.

Who Qualifies — and Which Jobs Are Eligible

This is the question we hear most. Originally, Hometown Heroes was limited to roughly 50 frontline professions — teachers, law enforcement officers, firefighters, nurses, healthcare workers, child care employees, active military and veterans, and more. In mid-2023 the occupation restriction was removed, opening the program to any full-time worker employed by a Florida-based employer, regardless of profession.

The core requirements today are generally:

• First-time homebuyer — you haven't owned a primary residence in the past three years. Eligible U.S. military veterans are exempt from this rule.
• Full-time Florida employment — typically at least 35 hours per week for a Florida-based employer.
• Primary residence in Florida — the home must be owner-occupied.
• Minimum credit score of 640 (some loan types may require more).
• Completed homebuyer education course from an approved provider.
• Within the county income limit (see below).

Income Limits

Hometown Heroes uses county-by-county income limits (generally tied to a percentage of area median income, around 150% in many counties). Because Florida's housing costs vary widely, the cap in Miami-Dade or Monroe County looks very different from a rural Panhandle county. The income test is based on the borrower's qualifying income rather than total household income — an important distinction from programs like USDA.

Limits are updated periodically, so the smart move is to have us check the current limit for your specific county before you shop.

Eligible Properties & First Mortgage Types

The assistance attaches to a Florida Housing first mortgage, which can be:

• Conventional, FHA, VA, or USDA — whichever fits you best.
• Used for a primary, owner-occupied residence only — no investment properties or second homes.
• Applied to eligible single-family homes, townhomes, and approved condos.

Not sure which first mortgage is right for you? Compare our FHA, conventional, and VA loan options, or read the Conventional vs. FHA breakdown.

How the Assistance Is Repaid

There are no monthly payments on the second mortgage. The full assistance amount becomes due when any one of these happens:

• You sell the home.
• You refinance the first mortgage.
• You pay off or transfer the first mortgage.
• The home is no longer your primary residence.

Because it's a 0% deferred loan (not a grant), plan for that balance when you eventually sell or refinance.

How to Apply

You can't apply for Hometown Heroes directly with the state — it must be originated through an approved loan officer. The steps are simple:

1. Get pre-approved with a Florida Housing–approved lender (that's us).
2. Confirm your eligibility — income, credit, employment, and first-time buyer status.
3. Complete a homebuyer education course from an approved provider.
4. Reserve your assistance when you go under contract, while funds are available.
5. Close — the assistance is applied at the closing table.

As a Florida mortgage broker shopping 50+ lenders, Divito Lending can tell you in one conversation whether Hometown Heroes is your best path — or whether another low-down-payment option fits better.