Help to buy in Florida
Home-buying assistance programs in Florida
5 official programs for down payment and closing cost help in Florida, from Florida Housing Finance Corporation and Miami-Dade County Housing and Community Development. We show what each program says on its own page, with the date we checked it.
Key numbers in Florida
- Verified programs
- 5
- from Florida Housing Finance Corporation and Miami-Dade County Housing and Community Development
- First-time buyers only
- 5
- all require a first-time buyer
- Accept an ITIN
- 0
- per their own site · no: 0 · unconfirmed: 5
- Last checked
- November 5, 2026
- against each program’s official page
How to read the list
Not all help is the same
Amounts, limits and funding change: confirm with a participating lender.
Before you compare amounts, look at the kind of help: it changes what you pay later. These are the kinds the programs on this page use.
On ITIN, each card says what the program itself publishes: yes, no, or not confirmed on its site.
-
Deferred
Second loan with no payments until you sell or refinance
-
Repayable
Second loan with monthly payments
-
Forgivable
Second loan forgiven if you stay in the home
The full list
Programs in Florida
Filter by who qualifies, by ITIN or by kind of help. Each card quotes the source and the date we checked it.
-
- Deferred
Florida Housing second loan with no interest and no monthly payments, repaid when you sell or refinance
What it gives, per the source
Offers up to $10,000 on FHA, VA, USDA and Conventional Loans. … 0%, non-amortizing, deferred second mortgage. … The FL Assist is not forgivable. Repayment is deferred, except in the event of the sale, transfer, satisfaction of the first mortgage, refinancing of the property or until such a time the mortgagor ceases to occupy the property at which time, the Florida Assist will become due and payable, in full.
- First-time buyer?
- First-time buyers only
- Accepts ITIN?
- Its site does not confirm
Run by Florida Housing Finance Corporation
Verified November 5, 2026
-
Florida Housing second loan for the down payment, with monthly payments over 30 years
What it gives, per the source
Offers $12,500. … 3% fully-amortizing, second mortgage. … The FL HLP Second Mortgage carries a monthly payment. The remaining unpaid principal balance (UPB) is deferred, except in the event of the sale, transfer of deed, satisfaction of the first mortgage, refinancing of the property or until such a time the mortgagor(s) ceases to occupy the property as his/her primary residence at which time, the FL HLP Second Mortgage will become due and payable, in full.
- First-time buyer?
- First-time buyers only
- Accepts ITIN?
- Its site does not confirm
Run by Florida Housing Finance Corporation
Verified November 5, 2026
-
Florida Housing forgivable second loan, only with its conventional mortgages
What it gives, per the source
Borrowers utilizing these down payment and closing cost programs receive 3%, 4% or 5% of the total loan amount in a forgivable second mortgage. This second mortgage is forgiven at 20% a year over its 5-year term when used with Florida Housing’s conventional HFA Preferred for TBA or HFA Advantage for TBA first mortgage products. The PLUS Second Mortgage is available only with these conventional first mortgage products.
- First-time buyer?
- First-time buyers only
- Accepts ITIN?
- Its site does not confirm
Run by Florida Housing Finance Corporation
Verified November 5, 2026
-
Florida Housing down payment assistance for people who work full time in Florida in certain fields (health care, schools, emergency services, child care) and for military members and veterans
What it gives, per the source
Borrowers can receive up to 5% of the total first mortgage loan amount (maximum of $35,000/minimum of $10,000) in funds towards down payment and closing cost assistance. … Down payment and closing cost assistance is available in the form of a 0%, non-amortizing, 30-year deferred second mortgage. This second mortgage becomes due and payable, in full, upon sale of the property, refinancing of the first mortgage, transfer of deed or if the homeowner no longer occupies the property as his/her primary residence. The Florida Hometown Heroes loan is not forgivable.
- First-time buyer?
- First-time buyers only
- Accepts ITIN?
- Its site does not confirm
Run by Florida Housing Finance Corporation
Verified November 5, 2026
-
Homebuyer Down Payment Assistance Program
Only in: Miami-Dade County
- Deferred
Miami-Dade County loan of up to $35,000, with no interest or monthly payments, for the down payment of first-time buyers who already live in the county; repaid when you sell, refinance or at the end of the term
What it gives, per the source
Qualifying homebuyers can receive an interest-free loan of up to $35,000 dollars to cover the down payment for their first home. … The maximum award is $35,000. … Term: Up to 30 years deferred loan with no interest, unpaid principal balance due at maturity … Payments: No monthly payment required. Unpaid principal balance due upon sale, transfer of title, refinance or death during the term of the down payment loan … If property is sold, shared equity period percentage of profit from resale to be paid to the County: 100% if sold within 1-3 years, 50% is sold between 4-6 years, 0% after 6 years.
- First-time buyer?
- First-time buyers only
- Accepts ITIN?
- Its site does not confirm
Run by Miami-Dade County Housing and Community Development
Verified November 5, 2026
No program matches your search.
Rent help
Help with rent and utility bills in Florida
2 programs we checked in Florida to pay rent, power or gas, or avoid an eviction, with what each page says.
-
Florida Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
Run by FloridaCommerce
Help from the federal LIHEAP program in Florida that pays the electric or gas company directly, including past-due bills and reconnection
-
Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP): Hillsborough County
Run by Hillsborough County Social Services · Hillsborough County
Hillsborough County help, funded by LIHEAP, to pay the energy bill while funds last
Help to repair your home
Repair programs in Florida
One program we checked in Florida to repair your home or make it more efficient, with what its page says.
-
My Safe Florida Home Program
Run by Florida Department of Financial Services
Florida state program with a free wind inspection and grants to strengthen your home's roof, windows and doors
Up to $10,000
See details
Your county
Price and income limits depend on the county. Your county page has the typical value, the FHA limit and the counseling agencies that can walk you through the application.
Frequently asked questions
What is down payment assistance?
Money from a public or nonprofit program for the down payment or closing costs. It can be a grant you never repay, a second loan forgiven if you stay in the home for some years, a second loan repaid when you sell or refinance, or a tax credit (MCC) that lowers your federal taxes.
Do I need to be a first-time buyer in Florida?
Of the 5 programs on this page, all require it. In general, “first-time buyer” means not having owned a home in the last three years.
Can I use these programs with an ITIN?
What each program’s own site says: accept an ITIN, 0; do not accept one, 0; not confirmed on its site, 5. Ask the participating lender directly before you start, and ask for it in writing.