St. Lucie County Housing Program: Hometown Heroes and Local Down Payment Help
Up to $35,000 from the Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program, plus St. Lucie County's own county assistance. Income limit here: $153,600.
Hometown Heroes › County Housing Programs › St. Lucie County
St. Lucie County home buyers who serve their community, from nurses in Fort Pierce 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.
St. Lucie County's income limit of $153,600 is shared with 1 other county; 25 counties have a higher limit. St. Lucie County's FHA loan ceiling is $603,750; a first mortgage that size would draw $30,187 under the 5% rule.
Income limit (FHA / VA / HFA)
$153,600
Income limit (USDA)
$119,850
Max loan, FHA
$603,750
Max loan, HFA / VA
$832,750
Hometown Heroes help
5% of first mortgage, $10,000 to $35,000
County seat
Fort Pierce
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 $153,600 limit: Martin County.
Two sources of down payment help in St. Lucie 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.
St. Lucie County local assistance (SHIP-funded)
Each year Florida sends St. Lucie 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.
St. Lucie 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 St. Lucie County
Eligibility starts with your job: full-time work for a Florida-based employer in an approved occupation. Teachers and school staff (St. Lucie schools), sheriff's deputies and corrections staff (St. Lucie Sheriff), nurses, paramedics and childcare workers in St. Lucie 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
Buying a home in Fort Pierce and across St. Lucie County
There is no neighborhood restriction inside St. Lucie County: Fort Pierce, Port Saint Lucie and unincorporated areas all qualify. It has to be your primary residence, and manufactured homes must be 1994 or newer.
Some St. Lucie County addresses are USDA-eligible. There, a zero-down USDA loan plus Hometown Heroes can cover most of the cash needed at closing, with a $119,850 USDA income limit.
Check property records and taxes with the St. Lucie County Property Appraiser.
St. Lucie County housing news
- As Buc-ee's nears construction, development interest builds in northern St. Lucie County (WPEC, Oct 1, 2026)
- Port St. Lucie lowers property tax rate for 11th straight year (WPTV, Sep 29, 2026)
- Southeast Florida Retirement Guide: Vero Beach to the Keys (Florida for Boomers, Sep 27, 2026)
- St. Lucie firefighters extinguish blaze in attic of new, unoccupied home (WPEC, Sep 8, 2026)
Updated Oct 6, 2026.
St. Lucie County Hometown Heroes questions
How much can I earn and still qualify for Hometown Heroes in St. Lucie County?
For FHA, VA and conventional HFA loans, the 2026 Hometown Heroes income limit in St. Lucie County is $153,600 (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.
Is Hometown Heroes in St. Lucie County a grant?
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 St. Lucie County's SHIP allocation can be structured differently, which is why it pays to compare both.
Is there a St. Lucie County housing program separate from Hometown Heroes?
Yes. Every Florida county, including St. Lucie 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. St. Lucie County sets its own income caps, amounts and repayment terms in its Local Housing Assistance Plan, and funding windows vary.
How much Hometown Heroes help can I get buying in Fort Pierce or elsewhere in St. Lucie County?
Assistance is 5% of your first mortgage amount, with a minimum of $10,000 and a maximum of $35,000. St. Lucie County's FHA loan ceiling is $603,750; a first mortgage that size would draw $30,187 under the 5% rule.
How do I start a Hometown Heroes application in St. Lucie 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 St. Lucie County limit, and whether St. Lucie 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 St. Lucie County and can change. Estimates are not a commitment to lend. Equal Housing Opportunity.