Duval County Housing Program 2026: Down Payment Help for Local Heroes
Up to $35,000 from the Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program, plus Duval County's own county assistance. Income limit here: $163,050.
Hometown Heroes › County Housing Programs › Duval County
Duval County home buyers who serve their community, from nurses in Jacksonville 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.
Duval County's income limit of $163,050 is shared with 3 other counties; 16 counties have a higher limit. Run the numbers at the Duval 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
Jacksonville
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: Clay County, Nassau County, St. Johns County.
Two sources of down payment help in Duval 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.
Duval County local assistance (SHIP-funded)
Duval 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.
Duval 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 Duval County
Hometown Heroes is for full-time employees of Florida-based employers in eligible occupations. In Duval County, that includes staff of the Duval County school district and deputies and detention staff at the Duval 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
Duval County is home to 125th Fighter Wing (FL Air National Guard, Jacksonville), Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Naval Station Mayport and 3 more installations. Active-duty service members, Reserves, Coast Guard and Florida National Guard members are eligible.
Where you can use it in Duval County
There is no neighborhood restriction inside Duval County: Jacksonville, Atlantic Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach and unincorporated areas all qualify. It has to be your primary residence, and manufactured homes must be 1994 or newer.
Parts of Duval 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 Duval County Property Appraiser.
Duval County housing news
- Unemployment rate rises to 4.8% across Northeast Florida region in August (News4JAX, Oct 5, 2026)
- Duval County educators, parents discuss one-mill school tax renewal (News4JAX, Oct 4, 2026)
- ‘The down payment is the biggest hurdle’: 8 Jacksonville residents receive $20K grant in assistance from JWB (News4JAX, Sep 23, 2026)
- Jacksonville city council passes $2B budget, restores $4.9M in affordable housing funds (News4JAX, Sep 22, 2026)
Updated Oct 6, 2026.
Duval County Hometown Heroes questions
What is the Hometown Heroes income limit in Duval County?
For FHA, VA and conventional HFA loans, the 2026 Hometown Heroes income limit in Duval 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.
Do I have to pay back Hometown Heroes assistance in Duval 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 Duval County's SHIP allocation can be structured differently, which is why it pays to compare both.
Does Duval County have its own down payment assistance program?
Yes. Every Florida county, including Duval 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. Duval 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 Duval County?
Yes. Active-duty U.S. military, Reserves, Coast Guard and Florida National Guard members are eligible occupations, including personnel at 125th Fighter Wing (FL Air National Guard, Jacksonville) and Naval Air Station Jacksonville. 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 Duval 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 Duval County FHA limit ($580,750) and Hometown Heroes would provide $29,037.
Who can help me apply for Hometown Heroes in Duval 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 Duval County limit, and whether Duval 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 Duval County and can change. Estimates are not a commitment to lend. Equal Housing Opportunity.