Pinellas County Housing Program: Hometown Heroes and Local Down Payment Help
Up to $35,000 from the Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program, plus Pinellas County's own county assistance. Income limit here: $172,050.
Hometown Heroes › County Housing Programs › Pinellas County
Pinellas County home buyers who serve their community, from nurses in Clearwater 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.
Pinellas County's income limit of $172,050 is shared with 3 other counties; 9 counties have a higher limit. Pinellas 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)
$172,050
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
Clearwater
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 $172,050 limit: Hernando County, Hillsborough County, Pasco County.
Two sources of down payment help in Pinellas 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.
Pinellas County local assistance (SHIP-funded)
Each year Florida sends Pinellas 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.
Pinellas 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 Pinellas County
Eligibility starts with your job: full-time work for a Florida-based employer in an approved occupation. Teachers and school staff (Pinellas schools), sheriff's deputies and corrections staff (Pinellas Sheriff), nurses, paramedics and childcare workers in Pinellas 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
Pinellas County is home to Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg. Active-duty service members, Reserves, Coast Guard and Florida National Guard members are eligible.
Buying a home in Clearwater and across Pinellas County
There is no neighborhood restriction inside Pinellas County: Clearwater, Bay Pines, Belleair Beach, Clearwater Beach, Crystal Beach, Dunedin, Indian Rocks Beach and unincorporated areas all qualify. It has to be your primary residence, and manufactured homes must be 1994 or newer.
USDA loans are not available in Pinellas County; FHA, VA and conventional HFA loans are the usual first mortgages here.
Check property records and taxes with the Pinellas County Property Appraiser.
Pinellas County housing news
- Clearwater rehab highlights Pinellas’ aging housing challenge (St Pete Catalyst, Oct 5, 2026)
- Residents, county leaders discuss protecting 30-acre property in Pinellas County from future development (Tampa Bay 28, Sep 29, 2026)
- Retired FDNY Firefighters Honor 9/11 in Pinellas (FOX 13 Tampa Bay, Sep 10, 2026)
Updated Oct 6, 2026.
Pinellas County Hometown Heroes questions
What is the Hometown Heroes income limit in Pinellas County?
For FHA, VA and conventional HFA loans, the 2026 Hometown Heroes income limit in Pinellas County is $172,050 (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 Pinellas 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 Pinellas County's SHIP allocation can be structured differently, which is why it pays to compare both.
Does Pinellas County have its own down payment assistance program?
Yes. Every Florida county, including Pinellas 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. Pinellas 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 Pinellas County?
Yes. Active-duty U.S. military, Reserves, Coast Guard and Florida National Guard members are eligible occupations, including personnel at Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater and Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg. 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 Pinellas County?
Assistance is 5% of your first mortgage amount, with a minimum of $10,000 and a maximum of $35,000. Pinellas 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 Pinellas 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 Pinellas County limit, and whether Pinellas 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 Pinellas County and can change. Estimates are not a commitment to lend. Equal Housing Opportunity.