Miami-Dade County Housing Program 2026: Down Payment Help for Local Heroes
Up to $35,000 from the Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program, plus Miami-Dade County's own county assistance. Income limit here: $204,300.
Hometown Heroes › County Housing Programs › Miami-Dade County
Buying your first home in Miami-Dade County? If you hold an eligible job, the Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program can cover part of your down payment and closing costs, and Miami-Dade County runs its own local program alongside it.
Miami-Dade County's income limit of $204,300 ranks 2 of 67 Florida counties. Miami-Dade 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)
$204,300
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
Miami
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 Miami-Dade 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.
Miami-Dade County local assistance (SHIP-funded)
Miami-Dade 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.
Miami-Dade 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 Miami-Dade County buyers
Eligibility starts with your job: full-time work for a Florida-based employer in an approved occupation. Teachers and school staff (Miami-Dade schools), sheriff's deputies and corrections staff (Miami-Dade Sheriff), nurses, paramedics and childcare workers in Miami-Dade 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
Miami-Dade County is home to Homestead Air Reserve Base, U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM, Doral), Coast Guard Air Station Miami. Active-duty service members, Reserves, Coast Guard and Florida National Guard members are eligible.
Homes that qualify in Miami-Dade County
Hometown Heroes applies county-wide, from Miami to Coral Gables, Hialeah, Homestead, Key Biscayne, Miami Beach, Miami Gardens. 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.
USDA loans are not available in Miami-Dade County; FHA, VA and conventional HFA loans are the usual first mortgages here.
Check property records and taxes with the Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser.
Miami-Dade County housing news
- Miami-Dade offers up to $3,500 to homeowners for mortgage, HOA, insurance, and past due bills (CiberCuba, Oct 5, 2026)
- Property tax in Miami-Dade: paying in November gives a 4% discount (CiberCuba, Oct 5, 2026)
- Developer Revises Plans for Workforce Housing High-Rise at 824 Alton Road, Miami, Florida (Florida YIMBY, Oct 4, 2026)
- Beyond Sunset Place: Miami-Dade weighs $438M South Miami redevelopment fund (Florida Politics, Oct 2, 2026)
Updated Oct 6, 2026.
Miami-Dade County Hometown Heroes questions
What is the Hometown Heroes income limit in Miami-Dade County?
For FHA, VA and conventional HFA loans, the 2026 Hometown Heroes income limit in Miami-Dade County is $204,300 (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.
Do I have to pay back Hometown Heroes assistance in Miami-Dade 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 Miami-Dade County's SHIP allocation can be structured differently, which is why it pays to compare both.
Does Miami-Dade County have its own down payment assistance program?
Yes. Every Florida county, including Miami-Dade 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. Miami-Dade 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 Miami-Dade County?
Yes. Active-duty U.S. military, Reserves, Coast Guard and Florida National Guard members are eligible occupations, including personnel at Homestead Air Reserve Base and U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM, Doral). 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 Miami-Dade County?
Assistance is 5% of your first mortgage amount, with a minimum of $10,000 and a maximum of $35,000. Miami-Dade County's FHA loan ceiling is $667,000; a first mortgage that size would draw $33,350 under the 5% rule.
Who can help me apply for Hometown Heroes in Miami-Dade 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 Miami-Dade County limit, and whether Miami-Dade 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 Miami-Dade County and can change. Estimates are not a commitment to lend. Equal Housing Opportunity.