Pinellas County (unincorporated and most cities; not St. Petersburg, Clearwater or Largo)
Pinellas County Down Payment Assistance Program (up to $75,000)
Pinellas County offers low-income buyers (51% to 80% of area median income) up to $75,000 as a 0% loan forgiven after 30 years, for homes in unincorporated Pinellas and most cities other than St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Largo. It is open.
Down Payment Assistance Program
Taking applications
Pinellas County (unincorporated and most cities; not St. Petersburg, Clearwater or Largo)
Amount
Up to $75,000
Kind of help
Forgivable second loan
Who it's for
Low-income buyers (51-80% AMI)
Income cap
80% AMI: $64,250 (1), $91,750 (4)
Price cap
$394,000
Also note
8-hour HUD class + 1-hour counseling; liquid assets max $50,000; lender applies via portal; UPCS inspection
Reopened 12/1/2025; terms updated 8/1/2026. 0% deferred, forgiven after 30 years (full repayment if sold earlier). FY26-27 SHIP NOFA: $3,466,056 expected; applications July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2029 or until spent.
The County reopened the program on December 1, 2025 and updated its terms August 1, 2026. Assistance is a 0% deferred second mortgage forgiven after 30 years. The catch is strict: sell before year 30 and you repay the full amount, not a prorated share. The FY 2026-27 SHIP funding notice expects $3,466,056 for the strategy, with applications accepted July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029 or until the money is spent.
Who qualifies?
Household income between 51% and 80% AMI: up to $64,250 for one person or $91,750 for four.
Purchase price no higher than $394,000.
Liquid assets no more than $50,000.
An 8-hour HUD-approved class plus a 1-hour counseling session.
The home must pass a UPCS inspection.
Buyers in St. Petersburg, Clearwater or Largo use their own city programs instead. St. Petersburg's SHIP program is closed to new applications, though its South St. Petersburg CRA option is open.
Using it with Hometown Heroes and Home Key Plus
Hometown Heroes allows another agency's stand-alone DPA in third position, and this is a County program, so ask a participating lender whether the County will take that spot. The HFA of Pinellas County's Home Key Plus adds $10,000 with its own first mortgage; whether County DPA can sit behind it is a lender question too.
How to apply
Complete the 8-hour HUD class and the 1-hour counseling session.
Get pre-approved by a lender that uses the County portal; the lender applies for you.
Find a home at or under $394,000 outside St. Pete, Clearwater and Largo.
Pass the UPCS inspection before closing.
Before you apply in Pinellas
Check three things first. Is the home outside St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Largo? Is the price at or under $394,000? And are your liquid assets under $50,000? Then confirm that your lender is set up on the County portal, since the lender, not you, submits the application. Because the loan must be repaid in full if you sell before year 30, it suits buyers who expect to stay long term; ask the County how a refinance is treated, too.
Our summary of the official program page as of November 2026. Funding and terms change; get the current version from the program or a participating lender. Florida Down Payment Assistance has no tie to this program.
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