Baker County Housing Program 2026: Down Payment Help for Local Heroes
Up to $35,000 from the Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program, plus Baker County's own county assistance. Income limit here: $150,900.
Hometown Heroes › County Housing Programs › Baker County
Buying your first home in Baker County? If you hold an eligible job, the Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program can cover part of your down payment and closing costs, and Baker County runs its own local program alongside it.
Baker County's income limit of $150,900 ranks 29 of 67 Florida counties. Run the numbers at the Baker County FHA limit ($580,750) and Hometown Heroes would provide $29,037.
Income limit (FHA / VA / HFA)
$150,900
Income limit (USDA)
$119,850
Max loan, FHA
$580,750
Max loan, HFA / VA
$832,750
Hometown Heroes help
5% of first mortgage, $10,000 to $35,000
County seat
Macclenny
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.
Hometown Heroes vs. the Baker County housing program
Florida Hometown Heroes (state)
A 0% interest deferred second mortgage worth 5% of your first mortgage, with no monthly payment. It is not forgiven: you repay it when you sell, refinance, pay off the first mortgage or move out. Funding is first come, first served through approved lenders. Read the full Hometown Heroes guide.
Baker County local assistance (SHIP-funded)
Baker County receives state SHIP money every year and decides locally how to spend it. Down payment and closing cost help is an approved use. Amounts, income caps and whether the help is forgivable are set in the county's Local Housing Assistance Plan, so they differ from Hometown Heroes.
Baker County government website · Florida Housing SHIP local contacts
Some buyers use both; others qualify for only one. The lender checks layering rules before anything is reserved.
Eligible jobs for Baker County buyers
Hometown Heroes is for full-time employees of Florida-based employers in eligible occupations. In Baker County, that includes staff of the Baker County school district and deputies and detention staff at the Baker County Sheriff's Office, along with hospital, fire rescue and licensed childcare workers.
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
Where you can use it in Baker County
Hometown Heroes applies county-wide, from Macclenny to Glen Saint Mary, Olustee, Sanderson. The home must be your primary residence: single-family, townhome, eligible condo, or a 2 to 4 unit property where you live in one unit.
Some Baker 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 Baker County Property Appraiser.
Baker County housing news
- Governor Ron DeSantis Appoints Three to the Baker County Development Commission (flgov.com, Oct 5, 2026)
- More inventory, fewer sales as Northeast Florida housing market moves toward balance in August (News4JAX, Sep 11, 2026)
Updated Oct 5, 2026.
Baker County Hometown Heroes questions
How much can I earn and still qualify for Hometown Heroes in Baker County?
For FHA, VA and conventional HFA loans, the 2026 Hometown Heroes income limit in Baker County is $150,900 (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 Baker 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 Baker County's SHIP allocation can be structured differently, which is why it pays to compare both.
Is there a Baker County housing program separate from Hometown Heroes?
Yes. Every Florida county, including Baker 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. Baker 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 Macclenny or elsewhere in Baker County?
Assistance is 5% of your first mortgage amount, with a minimum of $10,000 and a maximum of $35,000. Run the numbers at the Baker County FHA limit ($580,750) and Hometown Heroes would provide $29,037.
How do I start a Hometown Heroes application in Baker 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 Baker County limit, and whether Baker 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 Baker County and can change. Estimates are not a commitment to lend. Equal Housing Opportunity.