Broward County Housing Program 2026: Down Payment Help for Local Heroes
Up to $35,000 from the Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program, plus Broward County's own county assistance. Income limit here: $190,200.
Hometown Heroes › County Housing Programs › Broward County
Buying your first home in Broward County? If you hold an eligible job, the Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program can cover part of your down payment and closing costs, and Broward County runs its own local program alongside it.
Broward County's income limit of $190,200 ranks 4 of 67 Florida counties. Broward County's FHA loan ceiling is $667,000; a first mortgage that size would draw $33,350 under the 5% rule.
Income limit (FHA / VA / HFA)
$190,200
Income limit (USDA)
$131,200
Max loan, FHA
$667,000
Max loan, HFA / VA
$832,750
Hometown Heroes help
5% of first mortgage, $10,000 to $35,000
County seat
Fort Lauderdale
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 Broward 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.
Broward County local assistance (SHIP-funded)
Broward 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.
Broward 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 Broward County buyers
Eligibility starts with your job: full-time work for a Florida-based employer in an approved occupation. Teachers and school staff (Broward schools), sheriff's deputies and corrections staff (Broward Sheriff), nurses, paramedics and childcare workers in Broward 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
Where you can use it in Broward County
Hometown Heroes applies county-wide, from Fort Lauderdale to Coconut Creek, Coral Springs, Dania, Deerfield Beach, Hallandale, Hollywood. 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.
Broward County has no USDA-eligible areas, so buyers here typically pair Hometown Heroes with an FHA, VA or conventional HFA first mortgage.
Check property records and taxes with the Broward County Property Appraiser.
Broward County housing news
- Broward County Growth Plan: Housing, Rail and Flood Resilience (Hoodline, Oct 2, 2026)
- Broward’s growth story: Talent, affordability and resilience take center stage (The Business Journals, Oct 1, 2026)
- Pinnacle taps Broward incentives for apartments with workforce housing units in Sunrise (The Real Deal, Sep 28, 2026)
- Candidates for Plantation mayor say affordable housing high on agendas (WPLG Local 10, Sep 28, 2026)
Updated Oct 6, 2026.
Broward County Hometown Heroes questions
How much can I earn and still qualify for Hometown Heroes in Broward County?
For FHA, VA and conventional HFA loans, the 2026 Hometown Heroes income limit in Broward County is $190,200 (TBA funding, effective May 6, 2026). For USDA loans it is $131,200. Under the TBA option, only the income of borrowers on the loan is counted, not the whole household.
Is Hometown Heroes in Broward 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 Broward County's SHIP allocation can be structured differently, which is why it pays to compare both.
Is there a Broward County housing program separate from Hometown Heroes?
Yes. Every Florida county, including Broward 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. Broward 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 Fort Lauderdale or elsewhere in Broward County?
Assistance is 5% of your first mortgage amount, with a minimum of $10,000 and a maximum of $35,000. Broward County's FHA loan ceiling is $667,000; a first mortgage that size would draw $33,350 under the 5% rule.
How do I start a Hometown Heroes application in Broward 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 Broward County limit, and whether Broward 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 Broward County and can change. Estimates are not a commitment to lend. Equal Housing Opportunity.