Florida First-Time Homebuyer Grants 2026: How to Qualify in Broward and Miami-Dade

Quick Answer: What's Available Right Now

Amounts and funding availability shift throughout the year as allocations run out and new cycles open, so always confirm current figures with your county's housing office or an approved lender before you budget around a specific number.

Before you go further, two related guides are worth reading alongside this one: figure out your realistic homebuying budget before you apply for assistance, and walk through the mortgage and neighborhood side of buying in Miami in more depth.

Florida Hometown Heroes: The Statewide Starting Point

The Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program is usually the first stop for eligible buyers because it can be layered on top of county-level assistance. It offers an interest-free, deferred-payment second mortgage — commonly up to around $35,000 — to help cover a down payment and closing costs.

Who qualifies:

• A minimum credit score of 640
• Full-time employment (35+ hours per week) with a Florida-based employer, in one of the state's eligible workforce professions (teachers, nurses, first responders, and dozens of other fields), with veterans generally exempt from the work-history requirement
• Household income under 150% of Area Median Income (AMI) for the county, which runs higher in South Florida than in most of the state
• A signed purchase contract and an approved first mortgage
• Completion of a HUD-approved homebuyer education course

Funding for Hometown Heroes moves in annual cycles and has been known to fully commit partway through the fiscal year, so timing matters. If the current allocation is exhausted, ask your lender when the next cycle opens.

For full eligibility rules, income limit charts, and the current funding status, see the Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program page on the Florida Housing Finance Corporation's official site.

Broward County: The Homebuyer Purchase Assistance (HPA) Program

Broward's flagship program is its Homebuyer Purchase Assistance Program, funded through the county's State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) allocation. It's structured as a 0% interest, deferred-payment second mortgage that is forgiven if you stay in the home for the required period, typically around 15 years.

Key details for Broward:

• Assistance amounts vary by community, with countywide funding commonly reaching up to $80,000 and higher figures — sometimes $120,000 — available in higher-cost cities such as Weston and Hollywood
• Income limits are typically set around 80% AMI for most communities, with some cities allowing up to 120% AMI
• Maximum purchase price limits apply and adjust periodically — recent figures have been in the high $600,000s countywide
• Applicants must complete homebuyer education and meet first-time buyer requirements
• Several Broward cities — including Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines, Sunrise, and Tamarac — run their own local programs that can potentially stack with the county's assistance

Broward also has a Housing Finance Authority that issues Mortgage Credit Certificates (MCCs) to eligible residents, which can reduce your federal tax liability even though Florida no longer runs a statewide MCC program.

Program guidelines, current funding status, and the lender-driven application process are maintained by the Broward County Housing Finance and Community Redevelopment Division.

Miami-Dade County: SHIP and Surtax Assistance

Miami-Dade's primary down payment assistance comes through its SHIP and Documentary Surtax programs, offered as a 0% interest, deferred-payment second mortgage. Reported maximum amounts have ranged from roughly $28,500 to $35,000 depending on the specific program cycle and funding source.

Key details for Miami-Dade:

• Must be a first-time homebuyer under the program's definition — generally, no ownership of a primary residence in the past three years
• County income limits apply, generally in the $100,000–$125,000 range for smaller households, though limits scale with household size
• Purchase price caps apply and are updated periodically
• The home must be your primary residence
• An approved first mortgage and completed homebuyer education course are required

Buyers purchasing specifically within Miami city limits may be able to stack the county assistance with the City of Miami's First-Time Homebuyer Program, which has offered up to $70,000 in additional deferred second-mortgage funding — potentially covering a substantial share of a down payment when combined with county and state programs.

Full income charts and application details are available through Miami-Dade Public Housing and Community Development's Affordable Homeownership Program.

How to Qualify: Step-by-Step

1. Confirm first-time buyer status. Under the federal definition used by most programs, you qualify if you haven't owned a primary residence in the past three years — even if you've owned investment property or previously owned a home with a spouse who kept it in a divorce.
2. Check your credit score. Most programs require a minimum of 640; some conventional or manufactured-home options may require 660 or higher.
3. Get pre-approved with a participating lender. Not every lender is approved for every program, so confirm participation before you shop for a home.
4. Complete a HUD-approved homebuyer education course. This is a near-universal requirement across Hometown Heroes, Broward HPA, and Miami-Dade SHIP. You can find an approved counseling agency near you through HUD's housing counselor locator.
5. Find a home within your county's purchase price cap. Caps differ by county and are updated periodically as home prices shift. If you haven't picked a neighborhood yet, start with our roundup of the best places to buy in South Florida.
6. Go under contract and have your lender submit the assistance enrollment. Funds are typically applied directly at closing. Before you sign anything, run through our due diligence checklist so nothing gets missed under time pressure.
7. Budget for insurance. Florida has some of the highest homeowners insurance costs in the country, which affects your debt-to-income ratio and can impact DPA approval if it isn't factored in early. Florida's Office of Insurance Regulation publishes a homeowners insurance shopping guide with company-level rate comparisons.

Can You Stack Multiple Programs?

In many cases, yes. A buyer working in an eligible profession might combine Florida Hometown Heroes with Broward County's HPA or Miami-Dade's SHIP assistance, and in some cities, add a municipal program on top of that. Veterans may be able to pair a $0-down VA loan with Hometown Heroes assistance for minimal out-of-pocket costs. Stacking rules, however, aren't uniform — they depend on your income, occupation, the purchase price, and which programs currently have active funding, so it's worth working with a lender experienced in Florida's assistance landscape to map out the best combination for your situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to be a teacher, nurse, or first responder to qualify for assistance in Broward or Miami-Dade? No. Florida Hometown Heroes is limited to eligible workforce professions, but the Broward HPA and Miami-Dade SHIP/Surtax programs are generally open to any income-eligible first-time buyer, regardless of occupation.

What's the biggest source of down payment help in South Florida right now? County-level programs tend to offer the largest dollar amounts — Broward's HPA can reach $80,000 or more in certain cities, which is typically larger than the state's Hometown Heroes assistance alone.

Do these programs need to be repaid? Most are structured as 0% interest, deferred-payment second mortgages rather than outright grants. They're generally forgiven after a set number of years of living in the home as your primary residence, but become due if you sell, refinance, or move out early.

How often do income and purchase price limits change? Regularly. Limits are tied to Area Median Income and local market conditions, and can be updated multiple times a year. Always verify current numbers with your county's housing office or an approved lender before finalizing your budget.

Assistance amounts, income limits, and funding availability change frequently based on program cycles and local budgets. Figures in this guide reflect recently reported program terms as of mid-2026; confirm current details with the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, Broward County Housing Finance and Community Redevelopment Division, or Miami-Dade County Public Housing and Community Development before applying.