Florida Down Payment Assistance Programs and 2026 Limits
Florida Housing has four programs that help first-time buyers with the down payment and closing costs, from $10,000 up to $35,000. Pick your county to see its limits, then compare what each program pays.
Limits for loans reserved on or after May 6, 2026. Checked against Florida Housing’s lender guides on November 12, 2026.
Your county’s 2026 limits
Choose any of Florida’s 67 counties.
Income counts every adult who will live in the home. Some neighborhoods the state marks as targeted areas get higher limits, and we check the exact address for you.
On top of the state programs, we check your county’s and city’s own buyer help and tell you what’s open right now.
The four state programs
Each one is a second loan that sits behind your first mortgage and covers money you’d otherwise bring to closing.
Hometown Heroes
- How much
- 5% of your loan, from $10,000 to $35,000
- Rate and payment
- 0%, no monthly payment
- Paid back
- When you sell, refinance, pay off the first mortgage or move out
- Loans
- FHA, VA, USDA and Conventional
- For
- Full-time workers at eligible Florida employers, veterans and active-duty military
Florida Assist
- How much
- Up to $10,000
- Rate and payment
- 0%, no monthly payment
- Paid back
- When you sell, refinance, pay off the first mortgage or move out
- Loans
- FHA, VA, USDA and Conventional
- For
- Any first-time buyer under the county limits
Florida HLP
- How much
- Up to $12,500
- Rate and payment
- 3%, $52.70 a month for 30 years
- Paid back
- Monthly, with the rest due when you sell, refinance, pay off the first mortgage or move out
- Loans
- FHA, VA, USDA and Conventional
- For
- Buyers who need more than $10,000 and can carry a small payment
HFA Advantage PLUS
- How much
- 3%, 4% or 5% of your loan
- Rate and payment
- 0%, no monthly payment
- Paid back
- Forgiven 20% a year, so after 5 years you owe nothing
- Loans
- Conventional only
- For
- Conventional buyers who plan to stay at least 5 years
Here’s what 5% looks like. On a $400,000 home with FHA and 3.5% down, the total loan comes to about $392,755, and Hometown Heroes pays about $19,600 of your down payment and closing costs.
Which program fits you
- You work full time at a Florida hospital or clinic, a K-12 school, a fire department or ambulance service, a police or corrections agency, a court or a licensed child care center, or you’re a veteran or on active duty. Start with Hometown Heroes, the biggest check of the four.
- You’re buying with FHA and your job isn’t on that list. Florida Assist gives you up to $10,000 with no payment. HLP gives you up to $12,500 for $52.70 a month.
- You’re buying with a Conventional loan. Look at PLUS first, because it’s the only one of the four that gets forgiven.
You get one state program per loan, because Florida Housing doesn’t let you stack two of its own. A county program can still go on top as a third loan when your county has money open.
What every program asks of you
- You haven’t owned the home you lived in during the last 3 years. Veterans and buyers in some targeted areas are exempt.
- Everyone on the loan has a credit score of 640 or higher, or 660 if the loan is underwritten by hand.
- You take a homebuyer class, which you can do online.
- Your income and the price of the home are at or under your county’s limits.
- You live in the home.
Hometown Heroes adds one more rule. At least one borrower works full time at the employer’s physical location. Hybrid counts if you’re on site at least 3 days a week, but fully remote doesn’t.
Compare all 67 counties
Show the income and price limits for every county
No county matches that name.
| County | Income, 1 or 2 people | Income, 3 or more | Price limit | County page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alachua | $104,000 | $119,600 | $566,354 | Alachua County page |
| Baker | $110,061 | $126,570 | $607,645 | Baker County page |
| Bay | $101,554 | $116,788 | $566,354 | Bay County page |
| Bradford | $98,700 | $113,540 | $566,354 | Bradford County page |
| Brevard | $101,414 | $116,627 | $566,354 | Brevard County page |
| Broward | $126,800 | $145,820 | $697,889 | Broward County page |
| Calhoun | $98,700 | $113,505 | $566,354 | Calhoun County page |
| Charlotte | $102,034 | $117,340 | $566,354 | Charlotte County page |
| Citrus | $98,700 | $113,505 | $566,354 | Citrus County page |
| Clay | $108,700 | $125,005 | $607,645 | Clay County page |
| Collier | $145,200 | $169,310 | $800,166 | Collier County page |
| Columbia | $99,600 | $116,200 | $566,354 | Columbia County page |
| DeSoto | $98,700 | $113,505 | $566,354 | DeSoto County page |
| Dixie | $98,700 | $113,505 | $566,354 | Dixie County page |
| Duval | $108,700 | $125,005 | $607,645 | Duval County page |
| Escambia | $102,694 | $118,099 | $566,354 | Escambia County page |
| Flagler | $104,300 | $119,945 | $566,354 | Flagler County page |
| Franklin | $98,760 | $115,220 | $566,354 | Franklin County page |
| Gadsden | $101,434 | $116,650 | $566,354 | Gadsden County page |
| Gilchrist | $104,000 | $119,600 | $566,354 | Gilchrist County page |
| Glades | $98,700 | $113,505 | $566,354 | Glades County page |
| Gulf | $103,320 | $119,732 | $566,354 | Gulf County page |
| Hamilton | $98,700 | $113,505 | $566,354 | Hamilton County page |
| Hardee | $98,700 | $113,505 | $566,354 | Hardee County page |
| Hendry | $98,700 | $113,505 | $566,354 | Hendry County page |
| Hernando | $114,700 | $131,905 | $566,354 | Hernando County page |
| Highlands | $98,700 | $113,505 | $566,354 | Highlands County page |
| Hillsborough | $114,700 | $131,905 | $566,354 | Hillsborough County page |
| Holmes | $98,700 | $113,505 | $566,354 | Holmes County page |
| Indian River | $102,300 | $117,645 | $566,354 | Indian River County page |
| Jackson | $98,700 | $113,505 | $566,354 | Jackson County page |
| Jefferson | $101,434 | $116,650 | $566,354 | Jefferson County page |
| Lafayette | $98,700 | $113,505 | $566,354 | Lafayette County page |
| Lake | $114,900 | $132,135 | $566,354 | Lake County page |
| Lee | $112,400 | $129,260 | $566,354 | Lee County page |
| Leon | $101,434 | $116,650 | $566,354 | Leon County page |
| Levy | $98,700 | $113,505 | $566,354 | Levy County page |
| Liberty | $98,700 | $113,505 | $566,354 | Liberty County page |
| Madison | $98,700 | $113,505 | $566,354 | Madison County page |
| Manatee | $114,100 | $131,215 | $572,751 | Manatee County page |
| Marion | $100,800 | $117,600 | $566,354 | Marion County page |
| Martin | $114,856 | $132,085 | $631,710 | Martin County page |
| Miami-Dade | $136,200 | $156,630 | $697,889 | Miami-Dade County page |
| Monroe | $171,960 | $200,620 | $1,036,005 | Monroe County page |
| Nassau | $108,700 | $125,005 | $607,645 | Nassau County page |
| Okaloosa | $113,996 | $131,096 | $631,710 | Okaloosa County page |
| Okeechobee | $98,700 | $113,505 | $566,354 | Okeechobee County page |
| Orange | $114,900 | $132,135 | $566,354 | Orange County page |
| Osceola | $114,900 | $132,135 | $566,354 | Osceola County page |
| Palm Beach | $128,500 | $147,775 | $697,889 | Palm Beach County page |
| Pasco | $114,700 | $131,905 | $566,354 | Pasco County page |
| Pinellas | $114,700 | $131,905 | $566,354 | Pinellas County page |
| Polk | $103,874 | $119,456 | $566,354 | Polk County page |
| Putnam | $98,700 | $113,505 | $566,354 | Putnam County page |
| Santa Rosa | $102,694 | $118,099 | $566,354 | Santa Rosa County page |
| Sarasota | $114,100 | $131,215 | $572,751 | Sarasota County page |
| Seminole | $114,900 | $132,135 | $566,354 | Seminole County page |
| St. Johns | $108,700 | $125,005 | $607,645 | St. Johns County page |
| St. Lucie | $114,856 | $132,085 | $631,710 | St. Lucie County page |
| Sumter | $104,100 | $119,715 | $566,354 | Sumter County page |
| Suwannee | $98,700 | $113,505 | $566,354 | Suwannee County page |
| Taylor | $98,700 | $113,505 | $566,354 | Taylor County page |
| Union | $98,700 | $113,505 | $566,354 | Union County page |
| Volusia | $101,514 | $116,742 | $566,354 | Volusia County page |
| Wakulla | $101,254 | $116,443 | $566,354 | Wakulla County page |
| Walton | $115,816 | $133,189 | $631,710 | Walton County page |
| Washington | $98,700 | $113,505 | $566,354 | Washington County page |
These are the Hometown Heroes limits. Florida Assist uses a lower income limit for households of 3 or more in nine counties: Baker $120,720, Collier $145,200, Gulf $118,440, Martin $122,880, Monroe $171,960, Okaloosa $128,040, Polk $118,440, St. Lucie $122,880 and Walton $118,440.
Source: Florida Housing Finance Corporation lender guides dated September 17, 2026, for loans reserved on or after May 6, 2026.
Where the money stands right now
State money is reserved one loan at a time, first come, first served, and only after you have a signed contract on a home. We check every state and county fund at the source and post what’s open, with dates, on our down payment assistance status page.
Credit under 640 or income over the limit
FHA on its own goes down to a 580 credit score with 3.5% down, so you still have a way to buy. We also do FHA 100% financing, and on many loans we cover part of your closing costs with a lender credit.
Scores in the 600s are a normal week for us. Call
Questions buyers ask us
Is Florida down payment assistance a grant?
Hometown Heroes, Florida Assist and HLP are loans you pay back when you sell, refinance or move out. PLUS is the closest thing to a grant, because it’s forgiven after 5 years.
Can I use it with an FHA loan?
Yes. Hometown Heroes, Florida Assist and HLP all work with FHA. PLUS is for Conventional loans only.
Can I use two programs at once?
You can’t use two Florida Housing programs on one loan, but you can pair one of them with a county program when your county has money open.
Will it raise my monthly payment?
Only HLP does, by $52.70 a month. The other three have no payment at all.
When do I apply?
Get pre-approved first. The money can only be reserved once your offer is accepted and the contract is signed, so we line it up the day that happens.
Every county also has its own page, with loan limits, home prices and local help. Find yours on our service areas page.
Most buyers overestimate the cash they need.
FHA starts at 3.5 percent down, assistance programs can cover that 3.5 percent, and a seller can be asked to pay closing costs. Stacked together, plenty of Florida buyers reach the table with far less cash than they planned for.
Call 888-601-8344 with a price range and a county and you'll know what cash to close actually looks like. Under ten minutes, answered 24/7.
Text 954-816-8820 if that's easier.
AAA Capital Funding, Inc. · NMLS #374739 · Jason J. Sarji, NMLS #374700