Florida down payment assistance, from Miami to Jacksonville
Choose your Florida county, income, price and loan type: which Florida Housing second mortgage fits, how much, and what you still bring.
Help you may get in Orange County
$17,370
Hometown Heroes Program: deferred loan, repaid when you sell or refinance. 0 programs likely fit, 2 to check.
| Your income vs. area median for 3 people | 97% |
| HUD 80% income limit, 3 people | $82,750 |
| Down payment at 3.5% | $12,600 |
| Cash still needed with the help | $0 |
| Monthly payment, no help | $2,405 |
| Monthly payment, with the help | $2,405 |
| FHA limit · conforming limit | $541,287 · $832,750 |
Programs read on the Florida Housing Finance Corporation pages; HUD FY 2026 limits; payment = principal and interest over 30 years at 7.4% (Freddie Mac, October 15, 2026). The approved lender confirms eligibility.
| Program | Fit | Amount | Form | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hometown Heroes Program | Check with the agency | $17,370 | Deferred loan, repaid when you sell or refinance | county income limit not transcribed: see the agency table; extra condition the calculator cannot check |
| Florida Assist (FL Assist) | Check with the agency | $10,000 | Deferred loan, repaid when you sell or refinance | county income limit not transcribed: see the agency table; price limit by county: see the agency table |
| HFA Preferred PLUS / HFA Advantage PLUS second mortgage | Does not fit | $17,370 | Forgivable loan, 5 years | county income limit not transcribed: see the agency table; price limit by county: see the agency table; not offered with this type of first mortgage |
Prepared by Radif Partners · Method · updated: HUD 2026 limits effective May 1, 2026 · Freddie Mac rate of October 15, 2026 · programs read on October 21, 2026
Florida Housing Finance Corporation offers three kinds of help, each tied to its own first mortgages. Hometown Heroes lends 5% of the first mortgage, at least $10,000 and at most $35,000, as a 0% deferred second that is never forgiven, to full-time workers of Florida employers in listed occupations such as health care, schools, public safety and child care. Its 2025-2026 money was fully committed in February 2026; Florida Housing has since posted a 2026 lender guide, without saying how much remains, so the calculator marks it to confirm. FL Assist lends up to $10,000, also deferred at 0% and repaid on sale or refinance. The HFA PLUS second gives 3%, 4% or 5% of a conventional loan, forgiven 20% a year over five years. In Orange County a household of three earning $85,000 buying at $360,000 with FHA could get $10,000 from FL Assist, against a $12,600 minimum down payment.
The three Florida Housing seconds
| Program | Amount | Repayment (agency wording) | First-time only | Min. credit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hometown Heroes Program | up to 5% of the first mortgage amount, maximum $35,000, minimum $10,000 | 0% non-amortizing 30-year deferred second mortgage, not forgivable; due on sale, refinance, transfer or end of term | yes | open | |
| Florida Assist (FL Assist) | up to $10,000 on FHA, VA, USDA and Conventional loans | 0% deferred second mortgage, not forgivable, repayable on sale, refinance, transfer or satisfaction of the first mortgage | depends | open | |
| HFA Preferred PLUS / HFA Advantage PLUS second mortgage | 3%, 4% or 5% of the first mortgage loan amount | forgiven at 20% a year over a 5-year term, with Florida Housing conventional HFA Preferred or HFA Advantage first mortgages | depends | open |
The choice of first mortgage decides which help you can draw. With FHA, VA or USDA, FL Assist is the general option and Hometown Heroes the larger one for eligible workers. With a conventional loan the HFA PLUS second opens, and on a $340,000 home in Hillsborough County at 5% it reaches $16,490, more than FL Assist's cap. Florida Housing publishes income and price limits by county for all of these, which we link without transcribing them.
The status of Hometown Heroes
Hometown Heroes is funded one year at a time and closes when the year's money is committed. Florida Housing said in February 2026 that it had committed all of the 2025-2026 funding. A 2026 lender guide has since appeared on its site, with income limits effective for reservations from May 6, 2026, but no notice of the remaining balance. That is why the calculator keeps the program visible and marks it "Check with the agency": only a participating lender can tell you, on the day, whether a reservation is still possible.
Your Florida county
Help you may get in Miami-Dade County
$21,713
| Your income vs. area median for 3 people | 111% |
| HUD 80% income limit, 3 people | $98,100 |
| Down payment at 3.5% | $15,750 |
| Cash still needed with the help | $0 |
Orange County with an FHA loan
| Program | Result | Amount | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hometown Heroes Program | Check with the agency | $17,370 | county income limit not transcribed: see the agency table; extra condition the calculator cannot check |
| Florida Assist (FL Assist) | Check with the agency | $10,000 | county income limit not transcribed: see the agency table; price limit by county: see the agency table |
| HFA Preferred PLUS / HFA Advantage PLUS second mortgage | Does not fit | $17,370 | county income limit not transcribed: see the agency table; price limit by county: see the agency table; not offered with this type of first mortgage |
FL Assist covers $10,000 of the $12,600 minimum, leaving $2,600 plus closing costs. If the buyer is a nurse or a teacher, Hometown Heroes would be $17,370 instead, enough for both. With the conventional HFA PLUS second, four years after closing $3,298 of the Hillsborough example would still be owed on a sale; after five, nothing.
County figures
| County | HUD median (4 people) | HUD 80% limit (3 people) | FHA limit | Conforming limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Dade County | $89,800 | $98,100 | $667,000 | $832,750 |
| Broward County | $102,500 | $91,300 | $667,000 | $832,750 |
| Palm Beach County | $107,600 | $92,550 | $667,000 | $832,750 |
| Hillsborough County | $104,700 | $82,600 | $541,287 | $832,750 |
| Orange County | $97,600 | $82,750 | $541,287 | $832,750 |
| Duval County | $108,700 | $78,300 | $580,750 | $832,750 |
| Pinellas County | $104,700 | $82,600 | $541,287 | $832,750 |
| Lee County | $105,700 | $80,950 | $541,287 | $832,750 |
| Polk County | $83,900 | $62,900 | $541,287 | $832,750 |
| Brevard County | $97,000 | $71,750 | $541,287 | $832,750 |
The South Florida counties share a higher FHA limit, $667,000 in Miami-Dade, while Orlando and Tampa sit at the floor and Jacksonville at $580,750. HUD's median in Miami-Dade, $89,800, is lower than in Orange County at $97,600, though prices are higher: the income limit there binds sooner than the price limit.
Applying in Florida
All three are reserved by a Florida Housing participating lender with the first mortgage, after a homebuyer course. Ask the lender to quote both an FHA file with FL Assist and a conventional file with HFA PLUS: the larger second does not always give the lower total cost once the rate and mortgage insurance are counted.