Program has provided nearly $25 million in assistance to Florida families.
Tallahassee, FL - Florida Housing Finance Corporation (Florida Housing) announced today that the Hometown Heroes Housing program has provided nearly $25 million in assistance to help essential community workers purchase a home in Florida. In late May, Governor DeSantis announced the launch of Hometown Heroes, which provides down payment and closing cost assistance to more than 100 eligible professions. Since the program’s launch on June 1, a total of $24 million has been provided to 1,642 families throughout the state. The top occupations currently utilizing this program are veterans/active-duty military, nurses, teachers, and law enforcement officers.
“This Labor Day we celebrate the power of hardworking Americans and recognize the contributions of these individuals to our country’s success,” said Trey Price, Executive Director of Florida Housing Finance Corporation. “In just three months, the Hometown Heroes program has allowed us to directly assist thousands of Floridians that make up an essential part of our state’s labor force. These individuals work hard to serve their communities and we’re proud to show our appreciation by providing the necessary financial assistance to help them achieve the American Dream of homeownership.”
“The Hometown Heroes program has changed our lives,” said Carolina and Jordan, first time homebuyers in Clermont, Florida. “We’ve lived in many places throughout the state while Carolina worked as a nurse and have been saving for years, but buying a home has always been just out of reach. Then we heard about Florida’s Hometown Heroes program and knew this could finally be our chance to set down roots. We connected with Kevin Royer from Compass Real Estate and Jon Howard at the Home Loan Expert, one of Florida Housing’s participating loan officers, and now just a few weeks later we are closing on our first home. We’re extremely grateful for this program and to everyone who has helped us along the way.”
More than 100 professions are currently eligible for the Hometown Heroes program, including law enforcement officers, firefighters, educators, healthcare workers, and active-duty military or veterans. Eligible homebuyers can receive up to 5% of their first mortgage loan amount (up to a maximum of $25,000) in the form of a 0%, non-amortizing, 30-year 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.
For more information on the Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program, please visit www.floridahousing.org/hometownheroes.
Florida Housing Finance Corporation (Florida Housing) was created by the state Legislature more than 40 years ago. We are the state’s housing finance agency (HFA) that administers state and federal resources to help provide affordable homeownership and rental housing options for the citizens of Florida.
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