How Much Is Florida Hometown Heroes? ($35,000, With a Catch)
Florida Hometown Heroes can give you up to $35,000 toward a home, the largest down payment help in the state. Here is exactly how the amount works, and the one catch (funding) that decides whether you can use it.
How the $35,000 works
The number people remember is $35,000, and that is the cap. What you actually get is up to 5% of your first-mortgage amount, and 5% only reaches $35,000 on a loan around $700,000, so most buyers get a percentage of their loan rather than the full cap. On a $300,000 loan, 5% is $15,000; on a $400,000 loan, $20,000. It comes as a second mortgage with no monthly payment. Still, even at those levels, Hometown Heroes is the largest down payment help Florida offers, and in the state’s high-cost metros it can be decisive.
It is repayable, not forgivable
One thing to be clear about: Hometown Heroes is not a grant and it is not forgiven over time. It is a deferred second that you repay when you sell the home, refinance the first mortgage, pay it off, or stop using it as your primary residence. There is no monthly payment while it is deferred, but the balance is real and comes due eventually. If you want a forgivable option, that is FL PLUS, forgiven over five years, see our FL Assist vs. FL PLUS page.
The catch: funding cycles
Here is the part that actually decides things. Hometown Heroes is popular enough that its money runs out, the program has been fully committed at points and then refunded by the Florida legislature. So the real question is not just whether you qualify, but whether the program is open and funded on the day you are ready to buy. We track that, and if Hometown Heroes is paused, we move you to FL Assist, FL PLUS, or a county program without missing a beat. Confirm the current status on the Florida Housing site or ask us.
Common questions
How much money does Florida Hometown Heroes give?
Up to 5% of your first-mortgage amount, capped at $35,000, as a 0% deferred second. Most buyers get a percentage of their loan rather than the full cap (5% reaches $35,000 only around a $700,000 loan). On a $300,000 loan, 5% is $15,000.
Is Florida Hometown Heroes forgivable?
No. Hometown Heroes is a repayable deferred second, due when you sell, refinance, pay off, or no longer occupy the home. It has no monthly payment and no interest while deferred, but it is not forgiven over time. Florida's forgivable option is FL PLUS.
Is Hometown Heroes funding still available?
It runs in cycles. Hometown Heroes has been fully committed and then refunded before. Confirm the program is open and funded when you are ready to buy; if it is paused, FL Assist, FL PLUS, or a county program can fill in.
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