Key Takeaways
- Florida’s 2026-27 state budget includes $50 million for Hometown Heroes, and the program reopened to new reservations on July 13, 2026, on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Eligible buyers can get 5% of the first mortgage amount, at least $10,000 and up to $35,000, as a 0% deferred second loan that is not forgivable.
- The Mortgage Reports data: 33.8% of Florida home buyers who requested mortgage quotes through our site in 2026 described their credit as fair or poor, vs. 35.1% nationwide.
As of November 2026, Florida Hometown Heroes is funded for the 2026-27 fiscal year: the state budget includes $50 million for the program, per Florida Realtors, and it began taking reservations again on July 13, 2026. The program offers 5% of the first mortgage amount, from $10,000 up to $35,000, as a 0% deferred second loan, according to Florida Housing Finance Corporation. Funds are first-come, first-served, and Florida Housing does not post a live balance, so ask a participating lender whether funds remain before you count on it.
Check your home buying eligibility. Start hereIn this article (Skip to...)
- Florida Hometown Heroes at a glance
- Is Florida Hometown Heroes open right now?
- Who qualifies for Florida Hometown Heroes
- The Mortgage Reports data: How Florida home buyers rate their credit in 2026
- How much Hometown Heroes assistance you can get
- How to apply for Florida Hometown Heroes
- Things to know before you use Hometown Heroes
- How we got these numbers
- Florida Hometown Heroes FAQ
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Florida Hometown Heroes at a glance
The table below sums up Hometown Heroes’ key terms as of November 2026, from Florida Housing and the sources listed at the end.
| Feature | Florida Hometown Heroes (as of November 2026) |
| Status | Funded for 2026-27 ($50 million); reservations reopened July 13, 2026; first-come, first-served |
| Assistance | 5% of first mortgage amount; $10,000 minimum, $35,000 maximum |
| Form | 0%, non-amortizing, 30-year deferred second mortgage; not forgivable |
| When it's due | Sale, refinance, deed transfer, or when the home is no longer your primary residence |
| First-time buyer rule | No ownership interest in a principal residence in the past 3 years |
| Minimum credit score | 640 (660 for manual underwriting) |
| Max DTI | 50% with automated approval; 43% manual |
| First mortgages | FHA, VA, USDA Rural Development, conventional |
| Cost to apply | None |
Is Florida Hometown Heroes open right now?
Here is the funding timeline we could verify:
- Aug. 18, 2025: the 2025 round opened with $50 million. Florida Housing said on Feb. 27, 2026, that it had committed all available funding for the 2025-26 fiscal year, helping more than 3,000 families with average assistance of about $16,000.
- June 30, 2026: Florida Realtors reported that the 2026-27 state budget includes $50 million for Hometown Heroes, effective July 1.
- July 13, 2026: the program reopened to new applications, as reported by iHeartMedia and others. Florida Housing’s program page now references the HTH 2026 program and limits revised July 13, 2026.
- Sept. 21, 2026: a Florida lender, Make Florida Your Home, reported more than $25 million remaining, citing the program administrator’s funding bulletin.
We could not find a more recent official balance. In past rounds, funds have run out months before the fiscal year ended, so check with a lender early in your search.
Check your down payment assistance options. Start here
Who qualifies for Florida Hometown Heroes
Florida Housing’s program page and its 2026 lender program guide (revised Aug. 5, 2026) list these requirements:
- Job: full-time employment with a Florida-based employer in an eligible field, such as health care, K-12 school staff, first responders, public safety and court employees, and child care workers.
- Military and veterans: active-duty servicemembers, reservists, Coast Guard and Florida National Guard members qualify, as do veterans employed full time by a Florida-based employer.
- First-time buyer: no ownership interest in a principal residence in the past three years.
- Income: household income must fall under Florida Housing’s 2026 Hometown Heroes limits for your county.
- Credit and debt: 640 minimum credit score for all loan types (660 for manual underwriting) and a 50% maximum DTI with automated approval.
- Occupancy: the home must be your primary residence in the community where you work.
- Education: the primary borrower must complete an approved pre-purchase homebuyer course before closing; certificates are good for two years.
The Mortgage Reports data: How Florida home buyers rate their credit in 2026
33.8% of Florida home buyers who requested mortgage quotes through The Mortgage Reports in 2026 described their credit as fair or poor, compared with 35.1% nationwide. That matters here because most state assistance programs and the loans paired with them set a minimum credit score, so check this program’s requirements above before you apply.
| Self-reported credit | The Mortgage Reports data: Florida home buyers (4,072 requests) | The Mortgage Reports data: all U.S. home buyers (54,285 requests) |
| Excellent | 16.6% | 15.6% |
| Very good or good | 49.6% | 49.3% |
| Fair | 32.9% | 34.2% |
| Poor | 0.9% | 0.9% |
Source: The Mortgage Reports analysis of 4,072 home purchase quote requests submitted through our online mortgage form from Jan. 1 to Nov. 9, 2026. Credit tiers are self-reported; the form offers Excellent, Very good, Good, Fair and Poor, and Very good and Good are counted together. States are assigned by ZIP code. These are people who used our form, not a sample of all buyers.
How much Hometown Heroes assistance you can get
The assistance equals 5% of your total first mortgage loan amount, with a $10,000 minimum and a $35,000 maximum.
| First mortgage amount (illustration) | 5% of loan | Hometown Heroes amount |
| $150,000 | $7,500 | $10,000 (minimum) |
| $320,000 | $16,000 | $16,000 |
| $700,000 | $35,000 | $35,000 (maximum) |
These are illustrations only. Your amount depends on your final loan amount and must fit within program and loan limits.
Hometown Heroes is paired with an FHA, VA, USDA Rural Development or conventional first mortgage through a participating lender. Florida Housing says eligible borrowers get competitive market rates, reduced upfront fees and no origination or discount points. Rates still depend on your credit, down payment, property and lender.
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How to apply for Florida Hometown Heroes
You don’t apply to Florida Housing directly. Use Florida Housing’s Lender and Real Estate Agent Locator on its Hometown Heroes page to find a participating loan officer, who reserves funds for you when your loan qualifies.
- Confirm with your employer that your job is full time and the employer is Florida-based.
- Contact a participating lender and ask whether Hometown Heroes funds are available.
- Complete an approved homebuyer education course.
- Find a home within the program’s limits and close with your lender.
Florida Housing says there is no cost to apply. If anyone asks for an upfront fee, it asks you to report them to its Inspector General’s Office at 850-488-4197.
Things to know before you use Hometown Heroes
- It isn't forgiven. Florida Housing states the loan is not forgivable. You repay it in full when you sell, refinance, transfer the deed or move out.
- Funding can run out. Reservations are first-come, first-served until the year’s allocation is used.
- Limits vary by county. Income and loan limits are set by county, so check the current limits with your lender.
- Other options exist. Florida Housing’s other homebuyer programs also require a 640 score and education. See our Florida first-time home buyer programs guide, our down payment assistance guide and our list of first-time home buyer grants.
How we got these numbers
We took assistance amounts, loan terms and eligibility rules from Florida Housing Finance Corporation’s Hometown Heroes pages and its 2026 Hometown Heroes lender program guide (revised Aug. 5, 2026). Funding status combines Florida Housing’s Feb. 27, 2026 release with news and lender reports from June to September 2026, because Florida Housing does not publish a running balance. All sources were checked on Nov. 10, 2026.
Florida Hometown Heroes FAQ
Sources: Florida Housing Finance Corporation: Hometown Heroes; Florida Housing: Hometown Heroes Program; Florida Housing 2026 HTH Bond Program Guide (via eHousingPlus); Florida Housing press release, Feb. 27, 2026; Florida Housing Homebuyer Programs; Florida Realtors, June 30, 2026; iHeartMedia, July 14, 2026; Make Florida Your Home, Sept. 21, 2026.
