Highlands County Housing Program: Hometown Heroes and Local Down Payment Help
Up to $35,000 from the Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program, plus Highlands County's own county assistance. Income limit here: $148,050.
Hometown Heroes › County Housing Programs › Highlands County
Buying your first home in Highlands County? If you hold an eligible job, the Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program can cover part of your down payment and closing costs, and Highlands County runs its own local program alongside it.
Highlands County's income limit of $148,050 is shared with 30 other counties; 36 counties have a higher limit. Highlands County's FHA loan ceiling is $541,287; a first mortgage that size would draw $27,064 under the 5% rule.
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
Sebring
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.
Hometown Heroes vs. the Highlands 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.
Highlands County local assistance (SHIP-funded)
Each year Florida sends Highlands 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.
Highlands 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 Highlands County buyers
Eligibility starts with your job: full-time work for a Florida-based employer in an approved occupation. Teachers and school staff (Highlands schools), sheriff's deputies and corrections staff (Highlands Sheriff), nurses, paramedics and childcare workers in Highlands 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
Highlands County is home to Avon Park Air Force Range. Active-duty service members, Reserves, Coast Guard and Florida National Guard members are eligible.
Homes that qualify in Highlands County
Hometown Heroes applies county-wide, from Sebring to Avon Park, Lake Placid, Lorida, Venus. 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.
Parts of Highlands 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 Highlands County Property Appraiser.
Highlands County housing news
- A Guide to Florida Flood Insurance (2026) (Insurify, Sep 30, 2026)
- Impact fees are on the table | Highlands News-Sun (Mid Florida Newspapers, Aug 11, 2026)
Updated Oct 6, 2026.
Highlands County Hometown Heroes questions
What is the Hometown Heroes income limit in Highlands County?
For FHA, VA and conventional HFA loans, the 2026 Hometown Heroes income limit in Highlands 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 Highlands 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 Highlands County's SHIP allocation can be structured differently, which is why it pays to compare both.
Does Highlands County have its own down payment assistance program?
Yes. Every Florida county, including Highlands 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. Highlands 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 Highlands County?
Yes. Active-duty U.S. military, Reserves, Coast Guard and Florida National Guard members are eligible occupations, including personnel at Avon Park Air Force Range. 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 Highlands County?
Assistance is 5% of your first mortgage amount, with a minimum of $10,000 and a maximum of $35,000. Highlands County's FHA loan ceiling is $541,287; a first mortgage that size would draw $27,064 under the 5% rule.
Who can help me apply for Hometown Heroes in Highlands 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 Highlands County limit, and whether Highlands 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 Highlands County and can change. Estimates are not a commitment to lend. Equal Housing Opportunity.