At a glance
- Run by
- Florida Housing Finance Corporation
- Pairs with
- Florida Housing first mortgage
- Occupancy
- Primary residence
Educational overview, not a loan offer. Requirements vary by lender and borrower.
Overview
The Florida Housing Finance Corporation offers first mortgage programs through participating lenders, paired with down payment and closing cost assistance such as FL Assist, the Florida Homeownership Loan Program (FL HLP) and the HFA Preferred and HFA Advantage PLUS grants. The assistance is available only together with a Florida Housing first mortgage.
For 2026, the Hometown Heroes program is limited to the following borrowers: a person employed full time by a Florida-based employer as a health care worker, school staff member, first responder, public safety or court employee, or child care worker; a servicemember of the U.S. military or military reserves, the U.S. Coast Guard or its reserves, or the Florida National Guard; or a veteran employed full time by a Florida-based employer. Florida Housing publishes a list of example eligible occupations, which names job titles within those roles and is not a complete list. Ask your loan officer to check your own title and whether funds are available today.
How Florida Housing's homebuyer programs work
The Florida Housing Finance Corporation is the state's housing finance agency. It does not lend to buyers directly. Participating lenders originate its first mortgages, and a master servicer purchases and services them. Florida Housing funds much of this lending by selling mortgage revenue bonds, and it also offers a TBA execution, which it calls The Bond Alternative.
The first mortgages come in government and conventional versions: Florida First for FHA, VA and USDA Rural Development loans, and HFA Preferred (a Fannie Mae offering) and HFA Advantage (a Freddie Mac offering) for conventional loans. Down payment and closing cost help is available only with one of these first mortgages, never on its own.
Hometown Heroes is a separate, state-funded assistance program for eligible workers, service members and veterans, with its own rules, funding windows and lender guides.
Who Florida Housing programs can fit
These programs are built for Floridians buying a home to live in who need help with the cash to close.
They fit less well for buyers who expect to move, rent the home out or refinance soon, since much of the assistance comes due at that point.
Situations where these programs come up:
- A Florida renter who has not owned and lived in a home in the past three years, with income and a purchase price under the county limits.
- A veteran who has not used the federal veterans exception, buying a home to live in.
- A full-time health care worker, school staff member, first responder, public safety or court employee, or child care worker who reports to a Florida workplace, for Hometown Heroes.
- A buyer in a federally designated targeted area, where the first-time buyer rule does not apply.
See also
Florida Housing eligibility: income, purchase price and first-time rules
Florida Housing's homebuyer overview lists the core requirements, and its lender guides add detail. Exceptions to the first-time rule cover purchases in federally designated targeted areas and veterans who have not previously used the federal veterans exception. For Hometown Heroes, state law also exempts active-duty service members and veterans from the first-time requirement, though the rules for the specific funding source still apply; your loan officer checks the current guide.
The core requirements:
- Meet the IRS definition of a first-time homebuyer: no ownership and occupancy of a principal residence in the past three years, unless an exception applies.
- Income and purchase price below the limits for the county where you buy.
- Complete approved homebuyer education before closing.
- Work with a participating, approved lender.
- Meet the program's minimum credit score and the first-mortgage program's underwriting rules.
- Buy a home in Florida that will be your primary residence.
Credit and lender requirements for Florida Housing loans
Florida Housing sets a minimum credit score for its homebuyer loans, and lenders may require more. Scores matter in two ways: they must meet the program floor, and the first mortgage must still pass the underwriting rules of FHA, VA, USDA, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Florida Housing's 2026 Hometown Heroes guide applies tighter standards to manually underwritten loans and to manufactured homes.
If your score is close to a program minimum, a HUD-approved housing counselor can help you review your credit report before you apply. Paying down revolving balances and correcting report errors are common first steps, and it helps to avoid opening new accounts while you shop.
Down payment and closing cost assistance options
Florida Housing offers several assistance options, and you generally use one. Its 2026 Hometown Heroes guide says that program's help cannot be combined with Florida Housing's other down payment programs. Amounts and terms are set in the program documents and change over time, so ask a participating loan officer for current figures.
Deferred options come due in full when you sell, transfer the deed, refinance, pay off the first mortgage or stop living in the home as your primary residence. Because the FL HLP second has a monthly payment, that payment counts in your debt-to-income ratio.
Scroll sideways
| Feature | FL Assist | FL HLP second | HFA PLUS second | Hometown Heroes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Form | Deferred second mortgage | Amortizing second mortgage | Forgivable second mortgage | Deferred second mortgage |
| Monthly payment | None | Yes | None | None |
| Forgiven over time | No | No | Yes, in yearly portions | No |
| Pairs with | FHA, VA, USDA or conventional | Florida Housing first mortgages | HFA Preferred or HFA Advantage TBA loans only | FHA, VA, USDA or conventional |
| Who can use it | Program-eligible buyers | Program-eligible buyers | Program-eligible buyers | Eligible occupations, service members and veterans |
See also
How income is counted
Florida Housing's income limits are program limits, separate from the lender's affordability review, and the way income is counted depends on how the loan is funded. Under the 2026 Hometown Heroes guides, the Bond program counts the gross income of every household member age 18 or older, including a spouse who is not on the loan, while the TBA program counts only the borrowers' income. First-time status in the Bond program is checked for every borrower, any non-purchasing spouse and anyone on the deed.
For Hometown Heroes, full-time employment must be documented, and the employer must have a physical Florida location where you work or report. Pay stubs, a verification of employment or an employer letter sent from a work email can be used. Self-employed and contract workers face added conditions in the guide.
Property types and occupancy for Florida Housing loans
The home must be in Florida and must be your primary residence; renting it out or moving out triggers repayment of deferred assistance. Eligible property types follow the first-mortgage program, with Florida Housing's own limits layered on top.
State law allows Hometown Heroes loans on manufactured homes built after July 13, 1994 that are permanently affixed to land, and the 2026 guide limits manufactured housing to certain loan types with stricter standards. New construction must have a certificate of occupancy before the loan can be reserved, and the 2026 Hometown Heroes Bond guide does not permit construction-to-permanent loans.
What Hometown Heroes and other programs offer
For eligible buyers, when funding is open, the programs pair a first mortgage with help toward the cash needed at closing:
- Assistance with the down payment and closing costs, paired with FHA, VA, USDA or conventional first mortgages.
- Several assistance structures, including forgivable and deferred options.
- Hometown Heroes focuses on working Floridians in eligible occupations, along with service members and veterans.
- Exceptions to the first-time rule for targeted areas and qualifying veterans.
- Participating lenders across the state, searchable through Florida Housing's Lender and Real Estate Agent Locator.
Tradeoffs, funding changes and costs
Funding is the biggest uncertainty. Hometown Heroes is funded through state appropriations and reserved through participating lenders until the money is committed. Florida Housing reported that the 2025 program opened on August 18, 2025 and, in a February 27, 2026 announcement, that all funding for the 2025-2026 fiscal year had been committed. Florida Housing has published 2026 program guides and limits, but whether 2026 funds are still open can change at any time, so ask a participating loan officer. The occupation list has been set year by year; the version written into state law for 2025-2026 expired on July 1, 2026, so the current year's program rules control.
- FL Assist and Hometown Heroes are not forgivable and come due in full on sale, refinance, transfer or move-out.
- Reservations carry purchase deadlines, which can be tight for new construction.
- Bond-financed loans can trigger a federal recapture tax on a sale within the first nine years under certain conditions.
- Income limits in the Bond program count every adult in the household.
Talk it through with Ruben
Florida Housing compared with local help and HomeReady
Florida Housing's programs are one source of help among several. Florida counties and cities run their own assistance with State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) funds that Florida Housing distributes to local governments, and some buyers instead use a conventional program built for moderate incomes.
Local programs set their own rules under their housing assistance plans, so whether one can be combined with a Florida Housing loan depends on both programs. Your loan officer and the local housing office can tell you which combinations are allowed for the home you choose.
Scroll sideways
| Feature | Florida Housing programs | Local assistance such as SHIP | HomeReady and Home Possible |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who runs it | Florida Housing Finance Corporation | County or city housing offices | Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, through lenders |
| First mortgage | Florida Housing first mortgage required | Varies by local program | Conventional loan from the lender |
| Income limits | Yes, by county | Yes, set locally | Yes, tied to area income |
| First-time buyer rule | Generally yes, with exceptions | Varies | Not required |
| Assistance | Second mortgage options | Varies by local plan | None built in; can pair with eligible help |
Florida Housing scenarios: school staff, remote work, a veteran
Illustrations of how the rules play out, not offers:
- A full-time school staff member applies for Hometown Heroes; the loan officer confirms the role appears on the eligible occupations list and documents full-time status.
- A software developer who works from home learns that, under the 2026 guide, remote employees are not eligible for Hometown Heroes, and looks at FL Assist instead.
- A veteran who sold a home two years ago uses the federal veterans exception to the first-time rule for a Florida Housing loan.
- A couple whose adult son lives with them finds that his income counts toward the Bond program's household limit and asks whether a TBA option is available.
Reservations, funding windows and lender steps
Program deadlines run from the reservation date, so the order of steps matters.
- Find a participating loan officer through Florida Housing's Lender and Real Estate Agent Locator.
- Complete an approved homebuyer education course before closing.
- Get under contract; the lender reserves the first mortgage and assistance in the program's system, usually once its underwriter is ready to certify the loan.
- The lender underwrites to the agency and program rules and certifies compliance.
- Close on the program's first and second mortgage documents; the loan is then delivered for compliance review and purchase by the master servicer.
- Keep your second mortgage documents, since you will need them when you sell or refinance.
Florida Housing myths about direct lending and grants
Popular programs attract confusion and, sometimes, people trying to profit from it.
- Myth: Florida Housing will lend to me directly. Reality: It works only through participating lenders.
- Myth: Any Florida worker can use Hometown Heroes. Reality: The 2026 program is limited to full-time workers in listed occupations at a Florida-based employer, veterans working full time for a Florida-based employer, and members of the U.S. military, its reserves, the Coast Guard or the Florida National Guard.
- Myth: Hometown Heroes is a grant. Reality: It is a deferred second mortgage that is not forgivable.
- Myth: Funds are available all year. Reality: Funding comes in windows and can be fully committed.
- Myth: I have to pay to apply. Reality: Florida Housing says there is no cost to apply for Hometown Heroes assistance and warns about scammers who charge upfront fees.
Common questions
14 questions
Is Hometown Heroes available now?
Hometown Heroes funding opens in windows set by the state budget and can be fully reserved before the year ends. Ask your loan officer whether funds are available today.
How does Florida Housing decide whether I am a first-time homebuyer?
Florida Housing uses the federal tax-law test: no ownership interest in a principal residence you lived in during the three years before closing. Under its 2026 Hometown Heroes guides, Bond loans apply the test to each borrower who will live in the home, a non-borrowing spouse and anyone else on the deed, while TBA loans apply it only to occupying borrowers. Purchases in federally designated targeted areas are exempt, as is a veteran using the one-time federal veterans exception. State law also exempts active-duty service members and veterans from the Hometown Heroes first-time rule, but Bond loans must still meet federal tax rules, so your loan officer confirms which exception fits the loan's funding source.
Can I get Florida Housing down payment help through any lender?
No. Florida Housing's down payment assistance is available only together with a Florida Housing first mortgage from a participating lender, and it is not offered as stand-alone help. Florida Housing's Lender and Real Estate Agent Locator lists participating loan officers, so ask your loan officer whether they offer the program.
Do I have to repay Florida Housing's assistance?
It depends on the option. FL Assist and Hometown Heroes are deferred second mortgages that are not forgivable; they come due in full when you sell, refinance, transfer the deed, pay off the first mortgage or stop living in the home as your primary residence. The FL HLP second mortgage has its own monthly payment, and the HFA PLUS second mortgages, offered only with certain Florida Housing conventional first mortgages, are forgiven in yearly portions over their term.
Who is eligible for Hometown Heroes in 2026?
For 2026, the Hometown Heroes program is limited to the following borrowers: a person employed full time by a Florida-based employer as a health care worker, school staff member, first responder, public safety or court employee, or child care worker; a servicemember of the U.S. military or military reserves, the U.S. Coast Guard or its reserves, or the Florida National Guard; or a veteran employed full time by a Florida-based employer. Buyers must also meet the program's first-time buyer and income rules and the program's limits on the purchase price or the loan amount, and buy a primary residence; veterans and buyers of homes in federally designated target areas may be exempt from the first-time buyer rule. Florida Housing publishes a list of example eligible occupations, which names job titles within those roles and is not a complete list. Ask your loan officer to check your own title.
Does Florida Housing still offer a Mortgage Credit Certificate?
No. Florida Housing no longer offers a Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) program and has not issued one since December 31, 2020. Some local housing finance agencies in Florida may still offer MCCs, so ask your loan officer about programs in your county.
Can I use Hometown Heroes if I work remotely?
Not under the 2026 program. Florida Housing's 2026 Hometown Heroes Bond lender guide says remote employees are not eligible: you must work full time for an eligible Florida-based employer and work from, or report to, its physical Florida location. Veterans must work full time but do not need an eligible occupation, and active-duty members provide a current Leave and Earnings Statement. Rules can change each year, so confirm the current guide.
How does Florida Housing count household income for its limits?
It depends on how the loan is funded. In the Bond program, Florida Housing looks at household income: everyone living in the home who is 18 or older counts, even if they are not borrowing. The TBA program looks only at the income of the people on the loan. Both are separate from the lender's affordability review, so ask your loan officer which execution applies before assuming you fit under the limit.
Could I owe a federal recapture tax if I sell my home?
Possibly, if your first mortgage was funded with mortgage revenue bonds. The tax can apply only if you sell or dispose of the home within the first nine years, your income that year exceeds IRS limits, and you have a net gain; IRS Form 8828 is used to figure it. Florida Housing's reimbursement plan, as posted in October 2026, covers Bond loans closed before January 1, 2026. Talk with a tax professional.
Is there a fee to apply for Hometown Heroes?
No. Florida Housing states that there is no cost to apply for Hometown Heroes down payment assistance, and it warns that scammers target homebuyers by charging upfront or application fees. Avoid anyone who asks you to pay to apply, and report them to Florida Housing's Office of Inspector General. Normal loan closing costs still apply and appear on your Loan Estimate.
Can I combine Hometown Heroes with other Florida Housing assistance?
No. Florida Housing's 2026 Hometown Heroes guide says the program's assistance is not stand-alone and cannot be combined with Florida Housing's other down payment programs, such as FL Assist or the HFA PLUS seconds. Local programs run by counties and cities have their own rules about layering, so ask your loan officer and the local housing office whether a local grant can be added.
Can I use a job offer letter to qualify for Hometown Heroes?
No. The 2026 Hometown Heroes Bond guide requires the eligible borrower to be working full time for an eligible Florida-based employer at closing, and it states that offer letters do not meet that requirement. Full-time status can be shown with pay stubs, a verification of employment or an employer letter sent from a work email. If you are changing jobs, talk with your loan officer about timing.
Can I buy a manufactured home with a Florida Housing loan?
In some cases. State law allows Hometown Heroes loans on manufactured homes built after July 13, 1994 that are permanently affixed to land in Florida, whether the land is owned or leased. Florida Housing's 2026 guide limits manufactured housing to FHA, USDA, VA and Fannie Mae loans, applies a stricter debt-to-income limit and does not allow manual underwriting. The home must also meet the first-mortgage program's property rules.
Are there local down payment programs in Florida besides Florida Housing's?
Yes. Florida Housing administers the State Housing Initiatives Partnership program, known as SHIP, which sends funds to local governments to support affordable housing for very low-, low- and moderate-income households. Counties and cities decide how to use their share under local housing assistance plans, and down payment assistance is one permitted use. Contact your county or city housing office to ask what is open and how it works with your loan.
This page explains how this type of loan generally works. Programs, guidelines and availability vary by lender and change often. Contact Ruben to see which options are available for your scenario today.