Brevard County Housing Program: Hometown Heroes and Local Down Payment Help
Up to $35,000 from the Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program, plus Brevard County's own county assistance. Income limit here: $149,400.
Hometown Heroes › County Housing Programs › Brevard County
If you work in healthcare, education, public safety or the military and want to buy in Brevard County, two separate pots of down payment help can apply to you: the statewide Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program and Brevard County's own locally run housing assistance.
Brevard County's income limit of $149,400 ranks 31 of 67 Florida counties. Run the numbers at the Brevard County FHA limit ($541,287) and Hometown Heroes would provide $27,064.
Income limit (FHA / VA / HFA)
$149,400
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
Titusville
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.
State help and county help in Brevard County: how they differ
Florida Hometown Heroes (state)
Florida Housing lends you 5% of your first mortgage (between $10,000 and $35,000) as a silent second mortgage at 0%. Nothing is due monthly, and it adds nothing to your debt-to-income ratio, but the full amount comes due on sale, refinance or payoff. Read the full Hometown Heroes guide.
Brevard County local assistance (SHIP-funded)
Each year Florida sends Brevard County a share of State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) funds, at least $350,000. The county's housing office writes its own Local Housing Assistance Plan, which sets who qualifies, how much is offered and whether that help is forgiven over time.
Brevard County government website · Florida Housing SHIP local contacts
Stacking state and county help is sometimes possible and sometimes not. That is decided case by case before you reserve funds.
Who qualifies in Brevard County
Hometown Heroes is for full-time employees of Florida-based employers in eligible occupations. In Brevard County, that includes staff of the Brevard County school district and deputies and detention staff at the Brevard 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
Brevard County is home to Patrick Space Force Base, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Active-duty service members, Reserves, Coast Guard and Florida National Guard members are eligible.
Homes that qualify in Brevard County
Any part of Brevard County works, including Titusville, Cape Canaveral, Cocoa, Cocoa Beach, Grant, Indialantic, Malabar, as long as you live in the home. Single-family houses, townhomes, approved condos and 2 to 4 unit buildings (you occupy one unit) are all eligible.
Parts of Brevard County fall inside USDA-eligible areas, so a USDA first mortgage (zero down) can be paired with Hometown Heroes for qualifying addresses. The USDA income limit here is $119,850.
Check property records and taxes with the Brevard County Property Appraiser.
Brevard County housing news
- Florida families can't afford Washington's version of the economy (Florida Today, Oct 4, 2026)
- Health First cuts over 200 jobs in Brevard County (FOX 35 Orlando, Sep 21, 2026)
- Former Brevard attorney pleads guilty to multi-year real estate fraud scheme (Orlando-News.com, Sep 14, 2026)
Updated Oct 6, 2026.
Brevard County Hometown Heroes questions
What is the Hometown Heroes income limit in Brevard County?
For FHA, VA and conventional HFA loans, the 2026 Hometown Heroes income limit in Brevard County is $149,400 (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.
Do I have to pay back Hometown Heroes assistance in Brevard County?
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 Brevard County's SHIP allocation can be structured differently, which is why it pays to compare both.
Does Brevard County have its own down payment assistance program?
Yes. Every Florida county, including Brevard 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. Brevard County sets its own income caps, amounts and repayment terms in its Local Housing Assistance Plan, and funding windows vary.
Does Hometown Heroes cover service members stationed in Brevard County?
Yes. Active-duty U.S. military, Reserves, Coast Guard and Florida National Guard members are eligible occupations, including personnel at Patrick Space Force Base and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Under the TBA option, active-duty members with a current LES are exempt from the first-time buyer requirement, and veterans discharged other than dishonorably (DD214) are exempt too.
What is the maximum Hometown Heroes assistance in Brevard 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 Brevard County FHA limit ($541,287) and Hometown Heroes would provide $27,064.
Who can help me apply for Hometown Heroes in Brevard 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 Brevard County limit, and whether Brevard 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 Brevard County and can change. Estimates are not a commitment to lend. Equal Housing Opportunity.