Hometown Heroes Program — Up to $35,000 in DPA
Florida's largest down payment assistance program rewards the workers who serve our communities. Teachers, nurses, first responders, and 50+ more professions can receive up to $35,000 toward their first home.
What Is Hometown Heroes?
Launched by the Florida Legislature, the Hometown Heroes Housing Program provides down payment and closing cost assistance to eligible community workers purchasing their first home in Florida.
The assistance comes as a 0% interest, non-amortizing second mortgage — meaning you make no monthly payments on it. Repayment is only triggered when you sell, refinance, or pay off your first mortgage.
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Florida Hometown Heroes Approved Lenders (2026): Find a Participating Company
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Florida Housing Income & Purchase Price Limits (2026)
See 2026 Florida Housing income limits and purchase price caps by county.
Read GuideIncome Limits by County
Hometown Heroes uses Florida Housing income limits. Here are examples for the most popular counties.
| County | 1–2 Person Household | 3+ Person Household |
|---|---|---|
| Miami-Dade | $118,800 | $136,620 |
| Broward | $118,800 | $136,620 |
| Palm Beach | $118,800 | $136,620 |
| Hillsborough (Tampa) | $99,360 | $115,920 |
| Orange (Orlando) | $99,360 | $115,920 |
| Duval (Jacksonville) | $93,600 | $109,200 |
| Lee (Fort Myers) | $91,080 | $106,260 |
Eligibility Requirements
You must meet all of these criteria to qualify for Hometown Heroes.
How to Apply
- 1
Check Your Eligibility
Verify your profession qualifies, confirm you meet income limits for your county, and ensure you haven't owned a home in the past 3 years. Our team can verify this in minutes.
- 2
Get Pre-Approved
Apply for a Florida Housing first mortgage through an approved lender. Your pre-approval letter shows sellers you're a serious buyer with financing in place.
- 3
Find Your Home
Work with a real estate agent to find a home within Florida Housing's purchase price limits for your county. Single-family homes, condos, and townhomes all qualify.
- 4
Complete Homebuyer Education
Take a HUD-approved homebuyer education course online. Most take just a few hours and cost $0–$100. Your certificate is valid for 12 months.
- 5
Close on Your Home
At closing, your Hometown Heroes funds are applied as a 0% interest second mortgage. You make no payments on this loan — it's repaid only when you sell, refinance, or pay off your first mortgage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions Florida homebuyers ask us most. Can’t find what you’re looking for?
Talk to an ExpertOver 50 professions qualify, including teachers, nurses, physicians, law enforcement officers, firefighters, paramedics, childcare workers, juvenile justice employees, active military, veterans, and many more. The full list covers community workers across education, healthcare, public safety, and government sectors.
Up to $35,000, provided as a 0% interest, non-amortizing second mortgage. The exact amount is calculated as up to 5% of your first mortgage loan amount, capped at $35,000. This can be used for down payment, closing costs, or both.
You don't make monthly payments on the Hometown Heroes second mortgage. It's a deferred loan — repayment is triggered only when you sell, refinance, transfer the property, or pay off your first mortgage. If you stay in the home, you don't repay until one of those events occurs.
No. Hometown Heroes requires you to be a current, full-time W-2 employee. Independent contractors, part-time workers, and self-employed individuals do not qualify for this specific program — though other Florida DPA programs may be available to them.
In many cases, yes. Hometown Heroes can be layered with county-level SHIP funds, potentially increasing your total assistance to $50,000 or more. Availability depends on your county and remaining SHIP allocations. Our team helps you identify all stackable programs.
Hometown Heroes uses the same income limits as Florida Housing, which vary by county and household size. For example, a 1–2 person household in Miami-Dade can earn up to $118,800. Limits are updated annually. We can look up your exact limit in seconds.
Yes. You must be a first-time home buyer, which Florida defines as not having owned a home — or having an ownership interest in a primary residence — within the past 3 years. If you sold your previous home more than 3 years ago, you may qualify again.
The full process from application to closing typically takes 30–45 days. The Hometown Heroes layer adds about 5–10 business days to a standard mortgage timeline for the additional approval steps. Pre-approval itself takes 1–3 business days.
See If You Qualify for Hometown Heroes
Check your eligibility in minutes — no credit pull, no obligation.