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Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program

Hometown Heroes for Florida teachers and school staff

Florida K-12 teachers, aides, counselors and school staff may get 5% of their loan, up to $35,000, at 0% toward a first home through Hometown Heroes.

Who's covered

Anyone employed full-time by a Florida-based K-12 public, private, charter or magnet school can qualify. That includes classroom teachers, teacher aides, principals and assistant principals, counselors, school psychologists, social workers, librarians, and cafeteria, maintenance and janitorial staff.

Your lender verifies your job with paystubs showing full-time hours, or a written or verbal verification of employment. An employer letter must come from a work email with a signature and confirm full-time status and your specific Florida school address. Offer letters aren't accepted, so wait until you're on the payroll.

Florida Hometown Heroes pairs a Florida Housing 30-year fixed first mortgage with a second mortgage worth 5% of your loan (minimum $10,000, maximum $35,000) for down payment and closing costs. The second mortgage has 0% interest and no monthly payment, but it is not a grant: you repay it when you sell, refinance, pay off the first mortgage or stop living in the home. Funds are limited and handed out first-come, first-served through participating lenders.

It's not just teachers

The rule is about where you work, not your title. A bus-loop custodian at a charter school and a counselor at a private academy are covered the same way as a classroom teacher, as long as the job is full-time at a Florida school.

Florida Virtual School

FLVS teachers qualify only if they're paid directly by Florida Virtual School. Remote work is otherwise a problem: the program wants you at a physical Florida location, or on site at least three days a week if you're hybrid.

Paperwork to pull together

  • Recent paystubs showing full-time hours
  • Employer letter from a school work email with signature and school address, or a verification of employment
  • Homebuyer education certificate
  • Standard mortgage income and asset documents

Questions we hear

Do private and charter school teachers qualify?

Yes. Full-time employees of Florida-based K-12 public, private, charter and magnet schools are all eligible.

Can I use a job offer for next school year?

No. Offer letters are not accepted. You need paystubs or an employment verification showing you already work there full-time.

Do support staff count?

Yes. Aides, cafeteria workers, custodians, librarians, counselors and administrators qualify when they work full-time at a Florida school.

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