Alachua County Housing Program 2026: Down Payment Help for Local Heroes
Up to $35,000 from the Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program, plus Alachua County's own county assistance. Income limit here: $156,000.
Hometown Heroes › County Housing Programs › Alachua County
Alachua County home buyers who serve their community, from nurses in Gainesville to deputies and teachers across the county, can look at two kinds of help: the state's Hometown Heroes program and the county's own down payment assistance.
Alachua County's income limit of $156,000 is shared with 1 other county; 23 counties have a higher limit. Alachua County's FHA loan ceiling is $541,287; a first mortgage that size would draw $27,064 under the 5% rule.
Income limit (FHA / VA / HFA)
$156,000
Income limit (USDA)
$119,850
Max loan, FHA
$541,287
Max loan, HFA / VA
$832,750
Hometown Heroes help
5% of first mortgage, $10,000 to $35,000
County seat
Gainesville
Income limits: TBA funding option, effective May 6, 2026. Loan limits effective Jan 2, 2026. Source: Florida Housing Finance Corporation Hometown Heroes lender guide. Bond-funded limits may differ.
Same $156,000 limit: Gilchrist County.
Two sources of down payment help in Alachua County
Florida Hometown Heroes (state)
Statewide and run by Florida Housing Finance Corporation. You borrow 5% of the first mortgage at 0% interest, make no payments, and repay the whole balance later, when you sell or refinance. It is never forgiven, and money is reserved first come, first served. Read the full Hometown Heroes guide.
Alachua County local assistance (SHIP-funded)
Alachua County's local program is funded by the state SHIP trust fund but run by the county. Its rules, including income limits, award size and repayment, come from the county's Local Housing Assistance Plan and can change when new funding years open.
Alachua County government website · Florida Housing SHIP local contacts
Whether the two can be combined depends on both programs' rules at the time you apply. A participating lender confirms before funds are reserved.
Hometown Heroes jobs in Alachua County
Eligibility starts with your job: full-time work for a Florida-based employer in an approved occupation. Teachers and school staff (Alachua schools), sheriff's deputies and corrections staff (Alachua Sheriff), nurses, paramedics and childcare workers in Alachua County are among the eligible groups.
We have dedicated mortgage guides for many of these jobs:
- Healthcare: mortgage options for physicians and doctors
- Healthcare: mortgage options for nurses and medical professionals
- Public safety: mortgage options for corrections officers
- Public safety: mortgage options for police officers
- First responders: mortgage options for firefighters
- First responders: mortgage options for EMTs and paramedics
- Education: mortgage options for teachers and school staff
- Military: mortgage options for active-duty military and veterans
Homes that qualify in Alachua County
There is no neighborhood restriction inside Alachua County: Gainesville, Alachua, Archer, Earleton, High Springs, Island Grove, La Crosse and unincorporated areas all qualify. It has to be your primary residence, and manufactured homes must be 1994 or newer.
Some Alachua County addresses are USDA-eligible. There, a zero-down USDA loan plus Hometown Heroes can cover most of the cash needed at closing, with a $119,850 USDA income limit.
Check property records and taxes with the Alachua County Property Appraiser.
Alachua County housing news
- UF's Bell spotlights university's economic reach across Alachua County (Gainesville Sun, Oct 5, 2026)
- Alachua County code violations to cost Majestic Oaks apartments $278,880 (Mainstreet Daily News Gainesville, Sep 30, 2026)
- Congresswoman Kat Cammack secures continued housing for homeless veterans in Ocala and Gainesville (Alachua Chronicle, Sep 30, 2026)
- Gainesville City Commission discusses housing, adopts annual assessments, approves tentative property tax rates and budget (Alachua Chronicle, Sep 16, 2026)
Updated Oct 6, 2026.
Alachua County Hometown Heroes questions
How much can I earn and still qualify for Hometown Heroes in Alachua County?
For FHA, VA and conventional HFA loans, the 2026 Hometown Heroes income limit in Alachua County is $156,000 (TBA funding, effective May 6, 2026). For USDA loans it is $119,850. Under the TBA option, only the income of borrowers on the loan is counted, not the whole household.
Is Hometown Heroes in Alachua County a grant?
It is not a grant. Hometown Heroes is a 0% interest, deferred second mortgage with no monthly payment. It is repaid in full on sale, transfer of deed, satisfaction of first mortgage, refinance of first mortgage, or if the home stops being your primary residence. Local programs funded through Alachua County's SHIP allocation can be structured differently, which is why it pays to compare both.
Is there a Alachua County housing program separate from Hometown Heroes?
Yes. Every Florida county, including Alachua County, receives state SHIP (State Housing Initiatives Partnership) funds, a minimum of $350,000 a year, and can use them for down payment and closing cost help. Alachua County sets its own income caps, amounts and repayment terms in its Local Housing Assistance Plan, and funding windows vary.
How much Hometown Heroes help can I get buying in Gainesville or elsewhere in Alachua County?
Assistance is 5% of your first mortgage amount, with a minimum of $10,000 and a maximum of $35,000. Alachua County's FHA loan ceiling is $541,287; a first mortgage that size would draw $27,064 under the 5% rule.
How do I start a Hometown Heroes application in Alachua County?
Hometown Heroes is reserved through Florida Housing–approved participating lenders, first come, first served. Stairway Mortgage (Jim Blackburn, NMLS #1072866) can review your occupation, income against the Alachua County limit, and whether Alachua County's local program fits alongside it.
Jim Blackburn, NMLS #1072866 · Stairway Mortgage. Program terms, limits and funding availability are set by Florida Housing Finance Corporation and Alachua County and can change. Estimates are not a commitment to lend. Equal Housing Opportunity.