Who is eligible for Florida Hometown Heroes?

Florida Housing lists full-time employees of Florida-based employers in healthcare, K-12 schools, fire departments and ambulance services, law enforcement and corrections, courts, state attorney and public defender offices, and licensed child care, plus active duty and reserve servicemembers and veterans employed full time in Florida. Buyers also have to meet the first-time buyer and county income rules.

How much is the Hometown Heroes down payment assistance?

Florida Housing sets it at up to 5% of the first mortgage amount, with a $10,000 minimum and a $35,000 maximum. On a $400,000 first mortgage, for example, 5% is $20,000. The exact figure depends on the loan, and consult a mortgage lender who participates in Florida Housing’s programs to confirm it.

Is Hometown Heroes assistance forgivable?

No. It is a 0% deferred second mortgage with a 30-year term and no monthly payment, and it is repaid in full when you sell, refinance the first mortgage, transfer the deed, or stop living in the home as your primary residence. Florida Housing states that the Hometown Heroes loan is not forgivable.

Do both buyers need to work in an eligible occupation?

No. Florida Housing states that only one borrower must qualify with an eligible employer. A couple where one partner is a teacher, nurse, firefighter or court clerk can apply together even when the other partner works somewhere else, although household income still has to fall under the county limit.

Can I use Hometown Heroes to buy a condo in South Florida?

Florida Housing’s programs allow condominiums in approved projects, so it depends on the building rather than the unit. Many South Florida buyers start with condos because of price, which makes this the first thing to check on any condo you like, before an offer and certainly before the inspection period is running.

Florida Hometown Heroes Program Guide for Homebuyers

Down payment help for the people who keep Florida running

BreakThru Realty helps Florida homebuyers find the homeownership programs worth asking about, understand how each one shapes the home search, connect with participating lenders, and find homes that fit. Florida Hometown Heroes is the Florida Housing Finance Corporation program for full-time workers in eligible occupations, servicemembers and veterans. This guide covers who it is for, what it provides, the 2026 limits in the six counties BreakThru Realty serves, and how the program shapes which homes to look at.

BreakThru Realty · Founder and Broker of Record: Tyson E. Sam, Florida License 3565210

See which programs are worth asking about · Homes within the limits

What the Program Provides

Hometown Heroes pairs a Florida Housing first mortgage (FHA, VA, USDA Rural Development or conventional) with down payment and closing cost assistance of up to 5% of the first mortgage amount, with a $10,000 minimum and a $35,000 maximum. The assistance is a 0%, non-amortizing, 30-year deferred second mortgage: there is no monthly payment, and it becomes due in full when the home is sold, the first mortgage is refinanced, the deed is transferred, or the home stops being your primary residence. It is not forgivable. Florida Housing also describes the first mortgage as carrying reduced upfront fees and no origination or discount points.

Who the Program Is For

Florida Housing names occupational groups rather than job titles, and its examples within each group “include, but are not limited to” the titles it lists. Every group requires full-time, current employment with a Florida-based employer; servicemembers qualify through their service. Only one borrower on the loan needs to work for an eligible employer. Beyond the occupation, buyers must meet the program’s first-time homebuyer and household income rules and buy a primary residence.

What the County Limits Mean for the Search

The limits Florida Housing publishes for Hometown Heroes are income limits and loan limits, set by the county where the home is. A loan limit caps the first mortgage, not the price of the home, so a buyer bringing more money to closing can look above it. The listings on this page start from a simpler, conservative line: homes listed at or below the county’s FHA loan limit ($667,000 in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach, $603,750 in Martin and St. Lucie, $541,287 in Indian River), in the property types Florida Housing’s programs allow. Your lender’s pre-approval replaces that line with your own number.

Program Money Comes and Goes

Hometown Heroes is funded by appropriation, so how much assistance is available changes over the course of a year. This page does not say whether funds are available today, because any sentence that did would be out of date within weeks. Consult a mortgage lender who participates in Florida Housing’s programs; the lender reserves the assistance when you apply and can tell you where the program stands that week. Line up the pre-approval first, so an accepted offer is not left waiting on paperwork.

There Is No Fee to Apply

Florida Housing states plainly that there is no cost to apply for Hometown Heroes down payment assistance, and it warns that scammers target buyers looking for help by charging upfront fees or charging to apply. Anyone who asks you to pay to be considered for the program is not part of it. Florida Housing asks buyers to report it to its Office of Inspector General; the contact details are on Florida Housing’s Hometown Heroes page, listed in the sources below.

Property Types the Program Allows

Florida Housing’s programs finance a primary residence of a particular kind, and the shelf of listings on this page is filtered to match. Condominiums are the type that most often catches South Florida buyers out: the building itself must be an approved project, which is a question about the association rather than the unit, so it is checked before an offer.

Single-family homes
Townhomes
Two- to four-unit homes, when you live in one of the units
Condominiums in approved projects
Modular and manufactured homes, existing and built in 1994 or later

How BreakThru Realty Works With Hometown Heroes Buyers

The order matters. Consult a mortgage lender who participates in Florida Housing’s programs and get pre-approved for Hometown Heroes. Then we search inside your county’s limits and the program’s property types, check condominium project approval and association rules before you commit, and write an offer that gives the lender and the appraisal the time they need. From contract to closing we keep the lender, the title company and any association working to the same dates.

Who Florida Housing Lists for Hometown Heroes

Full-time, current employment with a Florida-based employer. Florida Housing’s examples in each group include, but are not limited to, the titles below.

Healthcare workers

Employed by a Florida-based healthcare provider or physician, hospital, assisted living facility, mental health facility or healthcare facility.

Registered nurse (RN)
Licensed practical nurse (LPN)
Advanced practice registered nurse (APRN)
Clinical nurse specialist
Nurse anesthetist
Nurse midwife
Nursing assistant (CNA)
Nursing technician
Physician
Physician assistant
Psychiatrist
Anesthesiologist
Anesthesiologist assistant
Dentist
Pharmacist
Nuclear pharmacist
Psychologist
Social worker
Case manager
Behavioral and mental health specialists, technicians and therapists
Physical, occupational, respiratory, speech and audiology therapists
Medical technicians, including ER, CT, X-ray, surgical, cardiology, neurology, radiation, rehab, lab and pharmacy technicians, sonographers and phlebotomists
Dental assistant
Dental hygienist
Medical assistant
Patient care assistant
Patient transporter

School staff members

Employed by a Florida-based K-12 public, private, charter or magnet school.

Classroom teacher
Teacher aide
Principal
Assistant principal
School counselor
Career specialist (guidance counselor)
School psychologist
Social worker
Librarian or media specialist
Food service and cafeteria staff
Maintenance and janitorial staff

First responders

Employed by a Florida-based fire department, ambulance service or hospital.

Firefighter
Certified paramedic
Certified emergency medical technician (EMT)

Public safety workers

Employed by a Florida-based local, county, state or federal law enforcement department, juvenile detention facility, correctional facility or emergency operations center.

Sworn law enforcement officer (local, state or federal)
Correctional officer
Correctional probation officer
Juvenile detention officer
Juvenile probation officer
911 public safety communicator (operator or dispatcher)

Court employees

Employed by a Florida-based county, state or federal court, court administrator’s office, State Attorney’s Office or Public Defender’s Office.

Assistant state attorney
Assistant public defender
Attorney employed by the Florida Supreme Court, a District Court of Appeal, a circuit court or a county court
Court clerk
Court stenographer (court reporter) employed by a Florida court

Child care workers

Employed by a Florida-based licensed child care facility, or a licensed or registered home day care.

Any worker at a licensed child care facility
Any worker at a licensed or registered home day care

Servicemembers and veterans

Employed by for veterans, a Florida-based employer, full time; servicemembers qualify through their service.

Active duty and reserve members of every branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, including the Florida National Guard
Veterans employed full time by a Florida-based employer, discharged under other than dishonorable conditions

Program Limits by County

2026 Hometown Heroes household income limit and loan limits published by Florida Housing (effective with reservations from May 6, 2026), and the SHIP purchase price limit.
County	Hometown Heroes income limit	FHA loan limit	HFA Advantage and VA loan limit	SHIP purchase price limit
Broward County	$190,200	$667,000	$832,750	$679,324
Miami-Dade County	$204,300	$667,000	$832,750	$679,324
Palm Beach County	$192,750	$667,000	$832,750	$679,324
Martin County	$153,600	$603,750	$832,750	$619,629
St. Lucie County	$153,600	$603,750	$832,750	$619,629
Indian River County	$153,450	$541,287	$832,750	$544,233

Homes for Sale Within the Program Limits

Broward County: at or below $667,000

Homes listed at or below the 2026 FHA loan limit Florida Housing publishes for Broward County, in property types its programs allow. A starting point, not a qualification: your pre-approval sets your own number.

See every Broward County home at or below this line

Miami-Dade County: at or below $667,000

Homes listed at or below the 2026 FHA loan limit Florida Housing publishes for Miami-Dade County, in property types its programs allow. A starting point, not a qualification: your pre-approval sets your own number.

See every Miami-Dade County home at or below this line

Palm Beach County: at or below $667,000

Homes listed at or below the 2026 FHA loan limit Florida Housing publishes for Palm Beach County, in property types its programs allow. A starting point, not a qualification: your pre-approval sets your own number.

See every Palm Beach County home at or below this line

Martin County: at or below $603,750

Homes listed at or below the 2026 FHA loan limit Florida Housing publishes for Martin County, in property types its programs allow. A starting point, not a qualification: your pre-approval sets your own number.

See every Martin County home at or below this line

St. Lucie County: at or below $603,750

Homes listed at or below the 2026 FHA loan limit Florida Housing publishes for St. Lucie County, in property types its programs allow. A starting point, not a qualification: your pre-approval sets your own number.

See every St. Lucie County home at or below this line

Indian River County: at or below $541,287

Homes listed at or below the 2026 FHA loan limit Florida Housing publishes for Indian River County, in property types its programs allow. A starting point, not a qualification: your pre-approval sets your own number.

See every Indian River County home at or below this line

See Which Programs Are Worth Asking About

Tell us what you do, the county you are looking in, your timing, whether you have owned a home in the last three years and your price range. We send back the programs worth raising with a participating lender and homes that fit them. Questions about credit, income and debts belong with your lender, so they are not on the form.

Prefer to talk? (786) 914-1017 · sales@breakthrurealty.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible for Florida Hometown Heroes?: Florida Housing lists full-time employees of Florida-based employers in healthcare, K-12 schools, fire departments and ambulance services, law enforcement and corrections, courts, state attorney and public defender offices, and licensed child care, plus active duty and reserve servicemembers and veterans employed full time in Florida. Buyers also have to meet the first-time buyer and county income rules.
How much is the Hometown Heroes down payment assistance?: Florida Housing sets it at up to 5% of the first mortgage amount, with a $10,000 minimum and a $35,000 maximum. On a $400,000 first mortgage, for example, 5% is $20,000. The exact figure depends on the loan, and consult a mortgage lender who participates in Florida Housing’s programs to confirm it.
Is Hometown Heroes assistance forgivable?: No. It is a 0% deferred second mortgage with a 30-year term and no monthly payment, and it is repaid in full when you sell, refinance the first mortgage, transfer the deed, or stop living in the home as your primary residence. Florida Housing states that the Hometown Heroes loan is not forgivable.
Do both buyers need to work in an eligible occupation?: No. Florida Housing states that only one borrower must qualify with an eligible employer. A couple where one partner is a teacher, nurse, firefighter or court clerk can apply together even when the other partner works somewhere else, although household income still has to fall under the county limit.
Can I use Hometown Heroes to buy a condo in South Florida?: Florida Housing’s programs allow condominiums in approved projects, so it depends on the building rather than the unit. Many South Florida buyers start with condos because of price, which makes this the first thing to check on any condo you like, before an offer and certainly before the inspection period is running.

Sources

Program figures checked against their published sources on September 23, 2026. Programs, limits and funding change; consult a mortgage lender who participates in Florida Housing’s programs for the current terms.