Hometown Heroes Program
Dated: February 26 2026
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Step 1: Check Your Eligibility for Hometown Heroes Before applying, you must ensure you meet the specific requirements for the Florida Hometown Heroes (HTH) Program:
- Employment: You must be employed full-time by a Florida-based employer.
- Eligible Occupations: The 2025 program is limited to specific roles, including health care workers, school staff members, first responders, public safety or court employees, and child care workers. Servicemembers (U.S. military, Coast Guard, or Florida National Guard) and veterans employed full-time by a Florida-based employer are also eligible.
- Eligible Occupations: For the 2025 program, eligibility is strictly limited to individuals in the following roles:
- A health care worker, school staff member, first responder, public safety or court employee, or child care worker.
- A servicemember of the United States military or its reserves, the United States Coast Guard or its reserves, or the Florida National Guard.
- A veteran who is employed full-time by a Florida-based employer.
- Financial and Buyer Status: The applicant must be a first-time homebuyer. Additionally, they must be income-qualified, meaning their income and the total loan amount must fall within the specific 2025 Hometown Hero Program Income and Loan Limits
- Income & Loan Limits: Your income and the loan amount must fall within the 2025 Hometown Hero Program limits.
- First-Time Buyer: Generally, you must be a first-time, income-qualified homebuyer, though as noted previously, this 3-year rule is waived for active military and veterans.
Step 2: Connect with an Approved Loan Officer
- You must work with a participating loan officer to access these funds. You can find one using the Lender and Real Estate Agent Locator on the Florida Housing website.
- Scam Warning: Be aware that there is absolutely no cost to apply for Hometown Heroes Down Payment Assistance. Avoid any company or individual that tries to charge you an upfront fee to apply or provide services.
Step 3: Get Pre-Qualified for Your Mortgage and DPA
- The First Mortgage: Your loan officer will help you secure a competitive market interest rate on an FHA, VA, RD, or Conventional first mortgage. A major benefit of this program is that you will receive reduced upfront fees and pay no origination points or discount points.
- The Down Payment Assistance (DPA): You can receive up to 5% of your total first mortgage loan amount to use toward your down payment and closing costs. This assistance has a minimum of $10,000 and is capped at a maximum of $35,000.
Step 4: Understand the Repayment Terms It is critical to understand how the Hometown Heroes DPA works before you close:
- The DPA is structured as a 0% interest, non-amortizing, 30-year deferred second mortgage.
- Unlike some other programs (like Florida PLUS), the Hometown Heroes loan is not forgivable.
- You will not have a monthly payment for this second mortgage, but it becomes due and payable in full if you sell the property, refinance the first mortgage, transfer the deed, or if you no longer live in the property as your primary residence.
Step 5: Find a Home with an Approved Real Estate Agent
- Just like the standard Florida Housing process, use the Lender and Real Estate Agent Locator to find a real estate agent who is familiar with the program to help you find an eligible primary residence in the community where you work and serve
Tadas Grigaliunas
I am Tadas Grigaliunas, a real estate professional with a unique international background and deep local expertise. Born and raised in Lithuania, I moved to the United States in 2001, bringing with me....
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All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. All properties are subject to prior sale, change or withdrawal. Neither listing broker(s) or information provider(s) shall be responsible for any typographical errors, misinformation, misprints and shall be held totally harmless. Listing(s) information is provided for consumers personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing.
Updated on September 25, 2026 12:35 AM UTC
