Florida Hometown Heroes provides up to $35,000 toward your down payment and closing costs — at 0% interest with no monthly payment — for the state's essential frontline workers buying their first home.
In down payment & closing cost assistance
For most families, the interest rate isn't the barrier — it's the cash needed to close. Florida Hometown Heroes is designed to solve exactly that.
Receive 5% of your loan amount — a $10,000 minimum, up to $35,000 — toward your down payment and closing costs.
The assistance is a 0% interest second mortgage. You pay nothing on it monthly — it's repaid only when you sell, refinance, or move.
The standard 1% lender origination fee is waived on the program's first mortgage — saving you more at the closing table.
From Miami-Dade to the Panhandle, the program is available in all 67 counties, paired with a competitive 30-year fixed mortgage.
More than 50 frontline occupations across Florida — a few of the largest:
Four steps stand between you and the front door.
Share a few details about where you work and your homebuying plans. No credit pull, no cost.
We confirm your county's income limit, pair you with the 30-year first mortgage, and set your assistance amount.
Shop with confidence and make a stronger offer knowing your down payment and closing costs are covered.
Your assistance is applied at closing. The 0% second mortgage sits quietly until you sell or refinance.
Florida Hometown Heroes is available in all 67 counties — wherever in Florida you serve, there's a path home.
Straightforward help, structured to keep more cash in your pocket at closing.
Your assistance equals 5% of the first mortgage, with a $10,000 floor and a $35,000 ceiling.
The help comes as a zero-interest second mortgage with no monthly payment while you live in the home.
Repaid only when you sell, transfer, refinance, or pay off the first mortgage. It's a repayable loan, not a grant.
Example: on a $200,000 first mortgage, 5% is $10,000 in assistance. Because $10,000 is the program minimum, smaller loans still receive that full floor amount.
Funding is limited and reserved first-come, first-served. Start with a quick, no-obligation eligibility check.
No. The assistance is a second mortgage at 0% interest with no monthly payment. You don't pay on it month to month, but it is repaid when you sell, transfer, refinance, or pay off your first mortgage. Be cautious of anyone describing it as a giveaway.
Generally yes — you should be buying your first home or not have owned a primary residence in the past three years. This requirement is waived for veterans, who may qualify even if they've owned before.
It comes down to who employs you and where — not your specific job title. If you work full-time for a Florida-based employer in an eligible field, you're likely in the running. A cafeteria worker or custodian at a hospital or school qualifies just as a nurse or teacher does.
Income limits apply and vary by county and household size. Higher cost-of-living counties have higher limits than rural ones. Many working Floridians fall within them — an eligibility check confirms your county's exact figure.
Yes. The assistance pairs with conventional, FHA, VA, and USDA first mortgages on a 30-year fixed term. We'll help you choose the option that fits best.
Yes. The program is funded in allocations and works on a first-come, first-served basis. The 2026 program year opened with a $50 million allocation, and funds are reserved as buyers move forward — so it pays to check your eligibility early.
Send a quick message and we'll confirm your eligibility, your county's income limit, and how much assistance you can access — at no cost and no obligation.