Down Payment Assistance in Volusia County: Hometown Heroes and the County Program
Up to $35,000 from the Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program, plus Volusia County's own county assistance. Income limit here: $148,650.
Hometown Heroes › County Housing Programs › Volusia County
If you work in healthcare, education, public safety or the military and want to buy in Volusia County, two separate pots of down payment help can apply to you: the statewide Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program and Volusia County's own locally run housing assistance.
Volusia County's income limit of $148,650 ranks 35 of 67 Florida counties. Volusia 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)
$148,650
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
DeLand
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.
State help and county help in Volusia 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.
Volusia County local assistance (SHIP-funded)
Each year Florida sends Volusia 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.
Volusia 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 Volusia County
Eligibility starts with your job: full-time work for a Florida-based employer in an approved occupation. Teachers and school staff (Volusia schools), sheriff's deputies and corrections staff (Volusia Sheriff), nurses, paramedics and childcare workers in Volusia 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
Where you can use it in Volusia County
Any part of Volusia County works, including DeLand, Barberville, Cassadaga, Daytona Beach, De Leon Springs, Debary, Deland, 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.
Some Volusia 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 Volusia County Property Appraiser.
Volusia County housing news
- Study: Volusia County ranks among fastest-growing, most-at-risk in US - Daytona Beach News-Journal (Daytona Beach News-Journal, Sep 29, 2026)
- Volusia County moves toward widening congested Daytona Beach road near I-95 (WKMG, Sep 22, 2026)
Updated Oct 1, 2026.
Volusia County Hometown Heroes questions
How much can I earn and still qualify for Hometown Heroes in Volusia County?
For FHA, VA and conventional HFA loans, the 2026 Hometown Heroes income limit in Volusia County is $148,650 (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 Volusia 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 Volusia County's SHIP allocation can be structured differently, which is why it pays to compare both.
Is there a Volusia County housing program separate from Hometown Heroes?
Yes. Every Florida county, including Volusia 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. Volusia 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 DeLand or elsewhere in Volusia County?
Assistance is 5% of your first mortgage amount, with a minimum of $10,000 and a maximum of $35,000. Volusia County's FHA loan ceiling is $541,287; a first mortgage that size would draw $27,064 under the 5% rule.
How do I start a Hometown Heroes application in Volusia 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 Volusia County limit, and whether Volusia 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 Volusia County and can change. Estimates are not a commitment to lend. Equal Housing Opportunity.