Down Payment Assistance in Glades County: Hometown Heroes and the County Program
Up to $35,000 from the Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program, plus Glades County's own county assistance. Income limit here: $148,050.
Hometown Heroes › County Housing Programs › Glades County
If you work in healthcare, education, public safety or the military and want to buy in Glades County, two separate pots of down payment help can apply to you: the statewide Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program and Glades County's own locally run housing assistance.
Glades County's income limit of $148,050 is shared with 30 other counties; 36 counties have a higher limit. Run the numbers at the Glades County FHA limit ($541,287) and Hometown Heroes would provide $27,064.
Income limit (FHA / VA / HFA)
$148,050
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
Moore Haven
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 $148,050 limit: Bradford County, Calhoun County, Charlotte County, Citrus County and 26 more.
State help and county help in Glades 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.
Glades County local assistance (SHIP-funded)
Each year Florida sends Glades 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.
Glades 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 Glades County
Hometown Heroes is for full-time employees of Florida-based employers in eligible occupations. In Glades County, that includes staff of the Glades County school district and deputies and detention staff at the Glades 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 Glades County
Any part of Glades County works, including Moore Haven, Palmdale, 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 Glades 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 Glades County Property Appraiser.
Glades County housing news
- 72 acres in Ortona could become RV resort, Glades County residents worried (WINK News, Oct 5, 2026)
- Proposed 700-Site RV Resort Sparks Controversy in Florida (Woodall's Campground Magazine, Sep 9, 2026)
Updated Oct 5, 2026.
Glades County Hometown Heroes questions
What is the Hometown Heroes income limit in Glades County?
For FHA, VA and conventional HFA loans, the 2026 Hometown Heroes income limit in Glades County is $148,050 (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 Glades 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 Glades County's SHIP allocation can be structured differently, which is why it pays to compare both.
Does Glades County have its own down payment assistance program?
Yes. Every Florida county, including Glades 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. Glades County sets its own income caps, amounts and repayment terms in its Local Housing Assistance Plan, and funding windows vary.
What is the maximum Hometown Heroes assistance in Glades 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 Glades County FHA limit ($541,287) and Hometown Heroes would provide $27,064.
Who can help me apply for Hometown Heroes in Glades 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 Glades County limit, and whether Glades 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 Glades County and can change. Estimates are not a commitment to lend. Equal Housing Opportunity.