Down Payment Assistance in Clay County: Hometown Heroes and the County Program
Up to $35,000 from the Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program, plus Clay County's own county assistance. Income limit here: $163,050.
Hometown Heroes › County Housing Programs › Clay County
Clay County home buyers who serve their community, from nurses in Green Cove Springs 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.
Clay County's income limit of $163,050 is shared with 3 other counties; 16 counties have a higher limit. Run the numbers at the Clay County FHA limit ($580,750) and Hometown Heroes would provide $29,037.
Income limit (FHA / VA / HFA)
$163,050
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
Green Cove Springs
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 $163,050 limit: Duval County, Nassau County, St. Johns County.
Two sources of down payment help in Clay 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.
Clay County local assistance (SHIP-funded)
Clay 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.
Clay 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 Clay County
Hometown Heroes is for full-time employees of Florida-based employers in eligible occupations. In Clay County, that includes staff of the Clay County school district and deputies and detention staff at the Clay 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
Clay County is home to Camp Blanding Joint Training Center. Active-duty service members, Reserves, Coast Guard and Florida National Guard members are eligible.
Homes that qualify in Clay County
There is no neighborhood restriction inside Clay County: Green Cove Springs, Doctors Inlet, Fleming Island, Keystone Heights, Lake Geneva, Middleburg, Orange Park and unincorporated areas all qualify. It has to be your primary residence, and manufactured homes must be 1994 or newer.
Some Clay 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 Clay County Property Appraiser.
Clay County housing news
- NOTICE OF PROPOSED ZONING ATLAS CHANGE ZON-26-0020 (Clay Today, Oct 5, 2026)
- Funding to support mental wellness for first responders, veterans lands in Clay (Clay Today, Oct 1, 2026)
- KCPD Detective & Clay County Sheriff's Deputy Rescue Driver From Burning Truck (Kansas City Missouri Police Department, Sep 30, 2026)
- Video captures Kansas City police, Clay County deputy rescue man from burning truck (Scripps News, Sep 30, 2026)
Updated Oct 6, 2026.
Clay County Hometown Heroes questions
How much can I earn and still qualify for Hometown Heroes in Clay County?
For FHA, VA and conventional HFA loans, the 2026 Hometown Heroes income limit in Clay County is $163,050 (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 Clay 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 Clay County's SHIP allocation can be structured differently, which is why it pays to compare both.
Is there a Clay County housing program separate from Hometown Heroes?
Yes. Every Florida county, including Clay 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. Clay County sets its own income caps, amounts and repayment terms in its Local Housing Assistance Plan, and funding windows vary.
Can military members at Camp Blanding Joint Training Center use Hometown Heroes?
Yes. Active-duty U.S. military, Reserves, Coast Guard and Florida National Guard members are eligible occupations, including personnel at Camp Blanding Joint Training Center. 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.
How much Hometown Heroes help can I get buying in Green Cove Springs or elsewhere in Clay 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 Clay County FHA limit ($580,750) and Hometown Heroes would provide $29,037.
How do I start a Hometown Heroes application in Clay 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 Clay County limit, and whether Clay 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 Clay County and can change. Estimates are not a commitment to lend. Equal Housing Opportunity.