Florida Down Payment Assistance Programs for First-Time Buyers (2026)

This article contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Full disclosure.

One of the most common reasons people put off buying a first home in Florida is the down payment. They assume they need to save for years. But Florida runs several genuine down payment assistance programs through the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, the state's housing agency, and most first-time buyers simply never hear about them. This guide breaks down what is actually available in 2026, who qualifies, and how much help you can get, using the real numbers straight from Florida Housing.

One thing to understand up front: all of Florida's state assistance is tied to a Florida Housing first mortgage. You cannot take the down payment help on its own. You get it by using one of Florida Housing's 30-year fixed-rate first mortgages through a participating lender, and the assistance rides along as a second mortgage. So the first step is always to work with a lender approved for these programs.

The baseline rules that apply to all of them

Before the individual programs, here is the common ground. To use Florida Housing's homebuyer programs you generally need to meet all of these:

A minimum credit score of 640.
Income at or below your county's limit, and a purchase price under your county's limit (both vary by county, so check the current figure for where you are buying).
Completion of an approved homebuyer education course.
You meet the first-time buyer test, which the IRS defines as not having owned and lived in your primary home during the past three years. (Some situations and areas have exceptions.)
You buy the home as your primary residence and use a participating lender.

If your credit is not quite at 640 yet, that is a fixable problem, and it is worth fixing to unlock this help. See what credit score you really need and how long it takes to improve your score.

1. Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program

This is the best-known and most generous program, and for 2026 it is aimed at Florida's frontline workforce. It provides down payment and closing-cost help of up to 5 percent of your first mortgage amount, capped at $35,000 (with a $10,000 minimum), plus access to a lower first-mortgage interest rate.

The assistance is a 0 percent interest, non-amortizing, 30-year deferred second mortgage. In plain terms: you make no monthly payments on it, and no interest accrues. It becomes due only when you sell the home, refinance your first mortgage, transfer the deed, or stop using the home as your primary residence. It is not forgivable, so it does get repaid eventually, but it sits quietly in the background until then.

The important thing to know for 2026 is that Hometown Heroes is limited to specific occupations. It is not open to every Florida worker. You generally qualify if you are a full-time employee of a Florida-based employer working as a health care worker, a school staff member, a first responder, a public safety or court employee, or a child care worker. It is also open to servicemembers and veterans, including members of the U.S. military and reserves, the Coast Guard, and the Florida National Guard.

One more thing that matters: this program is funded once a year, and the money runs out. The 2025 to 2026 allocation was fully committed in about six months. So if you qualify, do not sit on it. Confirm current availability with a participating lender before you count on it, and be ready to move.

💡 Not sure where you stand?

My free First-Time Homebuyer Guide covers credit, financing, and the full buying process, and I can help you figure out which Florida program fits your situation.

→ Download the Free Guide

2. Florida Assist (FL Assist)

If you do not qualify for Hometown Heroes, Florida Assist is the workhorse program open more broadly to income-eligible first-time buyers. It provides up to $10,000 in down payment and closing-cost assistance, and it pairs with FHA, VA, USDA, or conventional first mortgages.

Like Hometown Heroes, it is a 0 percent interest, non-amortizing, deferred second mortgage: no monthly payment, no interest, and not forgivable. Repayment is deferred until you sell, transfer, refinance or pay off the first mortgage, or stop living in the home as your primary residence, at which point the balance is due.

3. Florida Homeownership Loan Program (FL HLP)

The FL HLP second mortgage offers a larger amount, $12,500, but it works differently from the deferred programs above. It carries a 3 percent interest rate and is fully amortizing over 30 years, with a monthly payment. That monthly payment is small, but it is real, and because it is a monthly obligation, your lender will factor it into your debt-to-income ratio when qualifying you.

Any remaining balance becomes due when you sell, transfer, refinance, or pay off the first mortgage, or when the home is no longer your primary residence. (You may have seen other sites describe this program as "$10,000 over 15 years." That is outdated. The current figures from Florida Housing are $12,500 at 3 percent over 30 years.)

4. The PLUS forgivable second (conventional loans)

There is one Florida Housing option that is actually forgivable. When you use a conventional Florida Housing first mortgage (the HFA Preferred or HFA Advantage products), you may be eligible for a PLUS second mortgage of 3, 4, or 5 percent of your total loan amount that is forgiven at 20 percent per year over five years. Stay in the home five years, and it disappears entirely. This is the one to ask your lender about if avoiding future repayment is your priority and you are going conventional. Whether conventional is right for you is worth thinking through; see FHA vs conventional loans.

What about Salute Our Soldiers?

Florida used to run a separate military program called Salute Our Soldiers. It is no longer offered as a standalone program. Military benefits now live inside the Hometown Heroes program, which includes servicemembers and veterans and adds a lower first-mortgage rate for those who serve. So if you are military or a veteran, Hometown Heroes is where to look.

Do not forget county and city programs

On top of the statewide programs, many Florida counties and cities run their own down payment assistance through local Housing Finance Authorities, and these can sometimes stack with or substitute for the state help. Broward, Miami-Dade, Orange, and Escambia counties are examples of authorities that run their own homebuyer assistance or Mortgage Credit Certificate programs, and there are many more. Because local funding and dollar amounts change by cycle, the best move is to search your own county's Housing Finance Authority and ask a participating lender what is currently open where you are buying.

Note that Florida Housing no longer offers a statewide Mortgage Credit Certificate (a tax credit on mortgage interest). Those are now handled at the county level, so ask your county authority if one is available.

How to actually get this help

The path is more straightforward than it looks. Fix your credit to at least 640 if it is not there yet, complete an approved homebuyer education course, and connect with a lender approved for Florida Housing programs. It is worth taking a minute to get quotes from several lenders so you can compare who offers the best terms. That lender confirms your income and price limits for your county, tells you which assistance you qualify for, and packages the first mortgage and the assistance together. If you want the full picture of the buying process around all this, start with my step-by-step guide to buying a house and my breakdown of how much down payment you really need.

The bottom line is that in Florida, a thin savings account does not have to mean waiting years to buy. Between Hometown Heroes, Florida Assist, FL HLP, the PLUS forgivable option, and local county programs, there is a real chance you can get into a home sooner than you thought. The programs change and the funding moves, so if any of this fits you, the smart move is to confirm the current details with a participating lender and act while the money is there.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much down payment assistance can I get in Florida?

It depends on the program. Hometown Heroes offers up to 5 percent of your first mortgage amount, capped at $35,000. Florida Assist provides up to $10,000, FL HLP offers $12,500, and the PLUS forgivable second is 3, 4, or 5 percent of your total loan amount. A participating lender confirms which one you qualify for.

Do you have to pay back Florida down payment assistance?

Usually yes, but not right away. Hometown Heroes, Florida Assist, and FL HLP are second mortgages that become due when you sell, refinance, transfer the deed, or stop using the home as your primary residence. The PLUS second is the exception: it is forgiven at 20 percent per year over five years, so it disappears entirely if you stay five years.

Who qualifies for the Florida Hometown Heroes program?

For 2026, Hometown Heroes is limited to specific frontline occupations: health care workers, school staff, first responders, public safety and court employees, and child care workers, plus servicemembers and veterans. You also need a credit score of at least 640, must complete a homebuyer education course, and must meet your county's income and purchase-price limits.

Can I use Florida down payment assistance with an FHA loan?

Yes. Florida Assist pairs with FHA, VA, USDA, or conventional first mortgages. The assistance always rides along with a Florida Housing first mortgage, so you get it through a participating lender rather than on its own. If you are weighing loan types, see our comparison of FHA vs conventional loans.

Sources

The figures in this article were verified against Florida Housing Finance Corporation's own program pages in September 2026. These programs and their funding change over time, so confirm the current amounts, eligibility, and availability with a participating lender before you act.