Florida launches program to help members of military, law enforcement, teachers get homes

News4Jax | By Travis Gibson | May 23, 2022

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida is launching a $100 million program to help teachers and members of law enforcement and the military buy their first house.

Gov. Ron DeSantis was in southwest Florida on Monday morning to announce the “Hometown Heros” program that will make housing more affordable for more than 50 different critical professions in the state, including firefighters, childcare employees and nurses.

The money, which was approved by the legislature, will be included in this year’s budget and will go towards providing down payment and closing cost assistance to eligible workers.

Gov. DeSantis said the program will help recruit teachers and law enforcement officers in the state — two professions that have seen shortages in recent years — as Florida home prices continue to surge.

“In Florida, we value the contributions of our police, firefighters, teachers, and nurses,”said DeSantis.“Our hometown heroes are the backbone of Florida communities and making sure that they can afford to be homeowners is a great way to give back to them and support the future of the American Dream.”

Eligible homebuyers will be able to get up to 25 thousand dollars of their mortgage loan amount and can start applying through their lenders starting June 1.

For more information, visit Floridahousing.org/hometownheroes.

Gov. DeSantis also announced his intent to support the total of nearly $363 million appropriated for affordable and workforce housing in the 2022-2023 budget, the highest total in 15 years.