Updated November 2026. Program terms and funding change often. Confirm current availability with a participating lender before you rely on any program.
Florida has more down payment help than most buyers realize, but it comes from several different places, each with its own rules and its own timing. Here is a plain-English look at the main sources available to Florida homebuyers right now, what each one typically looks like, and how to line them up so you are ready when funds are open.
1. Florida Hometown Heroes
Hometown Heroes is Florida Housing Finance Corporation’s program for first-time buyers who work full time for a Florida-based employer in eligible fields, including healthcare, education, law enforcement, firefighting, childcare, and active military and veterans.
- Amount: 5% of the first mortgage, from $10,000 up to $35,000, for down payment and closing costs.
- Terms: a 0% interest, deferred second mortgage with no monthly payment. It is repaid when you sell, refinance, pay off the first mortgage, or stop living in the home.
- Basics: first-time buyer (no primary residence owned in the past three years, with some veteran exceptions), county income limits, a 640 minimum credit score, and an approved homebuyer education course.
- Funding: the current round opened July 13, 2026 with $50 million. Funds are first come, first served and are reserved only once you have a signed purchase contract with a participating lender. The previous round was fully committed within about six months, so do not wait to get pre-approved.
2. Florida Housing’s statewide assistance
If you do not qualify for Hometown Heroes, Florida Housing has other second mortgages that pair with its first-mortgage program:
- FL Assist: up to $10,000 at 0%, deferred, with no monthly payment. Not forgivable; it is repaid when you sell, refinance, or move out.
- HFA Preferred / HFA Advantage PLUS: a forgivable second mortgage of 3%, 4%, or 5% of the loan amount, forgiven 20% per year over five years. Used with conventional financing.
- FL HLP second mortgage: $12,500 at 3%, repaid monthly over 30 years. The payment counts toward your debt-to-income ratio.
All of these require a participating lender, a 640 minimum credit score, homebuyer education, and staying under the county’s income and purchase price limits.
3. Your county and city (SHIP and local programs)
Every Florida county, and many larger cities, receives State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) funds and often other local dollars. These programs can be the largest source of help, sometimes tens of thousands of dollars, but they vary widely:
- Most limit household income to 80% or 120% of area median income, depending on the program.
- Assistance is usually a deferred second mortgage, and many are forgiven if you live in the home for a set number of years.
- Funding typically follows the local fiscal year and opens and closes during the year. Some programs use waiting lists or lotteries.
- Many require a homebuyer class, a first mortgage from an approved lender, and a purchase price under a local cap.
Our down payment assistance directory lists county and city programs for all 67 Florida counties, with contacts for each. You can also sign up on your county’s page to be notified when funding opens.
Can you combine programs?
Sometimes. Some local programs can be layered with a statewide second mortgage, and some cannot. It depends on the first mortgage, the programs’ own rules, and how much total help is allowed. This is one of the main things worth reviewing with a loan officer before you make an offer.
How to be ready when funds open
- Get pre-approved early. Most programs reserve funds only once you are under contract, so being ready to move matters.
- Take a homebuyer education course now. Most programs require one, and the certificate is usually good for a year.
- Check your county’s income and price limits before you shop, so you look at homes that fit the program.
- Keep your paperwork current: recent pay stubs, W-2s or tax returns, and bank statements.
- Watch for openings. Sign up for your county’s funding alert in our directory.
Talk it through before you shop
Assistance rules are detailed, and the right combination depends on your income, county, loan type, and timeline. I can review which programs may fit your purchase and what you would need, at no cost. Book a free 30-minute call or start your pre-approval.
This article is general information, not a commitment to lend. Down payment assistance programs are administered by third parties and are subject to funding availability, eligibility, income and purchase price limits, and program guidelines that can change without notice. Not all applicants qualify. H. Alex El-Ali, NMLS #1513750, NEXA Mortgage, LLC, NMLS #1660690.
