Governor Ron DeSantis announced that since the Hometown Heroes housing assistance program launched on June 1st, Florida Housing Finance Corporation has provided more than $12 million in down payment assistance to Florida’s hometown heroes.
Florida Housing received $100 million from the state Legislature this year to establish the Hometown Heroes program, which assists individuals such as law enforcement officers, educators, healthcare professionals, and active military or veterans in purchasing their first home in Florida. Since the program’s launch a total of $12.1 million in assistance has been provided to 843 families throughout the state.
“Our law enforcement, first responders, nurses, and other hometown heroes work hard every day to take care of their communities,” said Governor DeSantis.“I’m proud that we have been able to give back by helping 800 families buy their first home in the communities they serve, and I look forward to seeing this project grow to help thousands more in the coming months.”
The Hometown Heroes program provides Florida’s frontline community workers in more than 100 eligible professions with down payment and closing cost assistance to help purchase a primary residence in the communities where they work.
“We’re extremely proud to share this milestone because it demonstrates how much the Hometown Heroes program is already helping hardworking Floridians throughout the state,” said Trey Price, Executive Director of Florida Housing Finance Corporation. “In less than two months, we have provided hundreds of families with the necessary financial assistance to purchase their first home. We’re grateful to Governor DeSantis and the Florida Legislature for their dedication to housing efforts and look forward to continuing to see the positive impacts of this program.”
Eligible homebuyers will receive up to 5% of their first mortgage loan amount (up to a maximum of $25,000) in down payment and closing cost assistance in the form of a 0%, non-amortizing, 30-year deferred second mortgage. To qualify for this program, homebuyers must connect with one of Florida Housing’s participating loan officers, have a minimum credit score of 640, provide certification for one of the eligible occupations, and meet the income threshold for their county.
The Hometown Heroes Housing Program is available to Floridians including law enforcement officers, firefighters, educators, healthcare professionals, childcare employees, and active military or veterans. Including this $100 million program, the Governor approved $363 million for affordable and workforce housing in the 2022-2023 budget, the highest total in 15 years.
