Hometown Heroes Exhausts 2025 Funding

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Hometown Heroes Housing program, the state’s workforce homebuyer initiative, has exhausted its 2025-2026 funding in just six months, helping more than 3,000 families become homeowners, the Florida Housing Finance Corporation announced Friday.

The most recent funding cycle opened Aug. 18 with $50 million in funding, part of a broader $435 million appropriation to Florida Housing approved by the Florida Legislature and supported by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Hometown Heroes provides down payment and closing cost assistance to income-qualified, first-time homebuyers working in eligible occupations, including first responders, healthcare professionals and teachers.

Hometown Heroes is a revolving loan program, with homeowners paying the loan back once they sell, rent or transfer the home. Those repaid funds are then used to help future homebuyers with their purchase. Continued funding for the program so it can reach a self-sustaining, evergreen status is a legislative priority for Florida Realtors®.

2026 Florida Realtors President Chuck Bonfiglio, broker-owner of AAA Realty Group in Plantation, said the strong demand reinforces why securing stable, recurring funding remains a top priority for the association.

"The Hometown Heroes Housing program is a vital tool for ensuring that essential workers — teachers, law enforcement officers, healthcare professionals and others — can afford to live in the communities they serve,” he said. “Florida Realtors has been working closely with lawmakers to secure the funding necessary for the program to reach 'evergreen' status, ensuring its long-term viability. With the Senate proposing $75 million and the House recommending $50 million for the 2026-27 fiscal year, we are making significant strides toward securing a sustainable future for this program, so it can continue to support our hometown heroes for years to come."

During the most recent funding cycle, the average first mortgage loan was about $320,000, with borrowers receiving roughly $16,000 in down payment assistance.

The program also offers competitive first mortgage rates and additional benefits for military service members and veterans. This year, more than 200 service members and veterans used the program to purchase a home.

Since launching in the 2022-2023 fiscal year, Hometown Heroes has generated more than $7.6 billion in first mortgage financing and delivered more than $386 million in down payment assistance, helping nearly 25,000 Floridians become homeowners. Participants have included more than 5,200 veterans and military personnel, 5,700 healthcare professionals, 1,900 first responders and public safety workers, and 2,000 teachers, school staff members and childcare workers.

Florida Housing officials said the program has consistently exhausted all available funds each year, underscoring strong demand for workforce housing statewide.

“This swift and strong response highlights the critical role the Hometown Heroes program plays in meeting the housing needs of Florida’s communities,” Florida Housing officials said.

© 2025 Florida Realtors®