HB 771 2023
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to the Florida Hometown Hero Housing 2
Program; creating s. 420.5096, F.S.; creating the 3
Florida Hometown Hero Housing Program to be 4
administered by the Florida Housing Finance 5
Corporation; providing the purpose of the program; 6
specifying requirements for loans under the program; 7
authorizing the corporation to underwrite and make 8
such loans to specified borrowers; specifying 9
borrowers who are inelig ible for the program; 10
specifying that the loans must be made available for a 11
certain period of time; providing applicability; 12
providing an effective date. 13
14
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 15
16
Section 1. Section 420.5096, Fl orida Statutes, is created 17
to read: 18
420.5096 Florida Hometown Hero Housing Program. — 19
(1) There is created the Florida Hometown Hero Housing 20
Program to be administered by the corporation for the purpose of 21
assisting frontline emergency workers, certain medical and 22
health care personnel, and educators in purchasing a home as a 23
primary residence. Under the program, the purchaser may reduce 24
the amount of the down payment and closing costs he or she pays 25
HB 771 2023
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
by a maximum of 5 percent of the first mortgage loan o r $25,000, 26
whichever is less. Loans must be made available at a 0 percent 27
interest rate. The balance of any loan is due at closing if the 28
property is sold, refinanced, rented, or transferred unless 29
otherwise approved by the corporation. 30
(2) For loans made available under s. 420.507(23)(a)1. or 31
2.: 32
(a) The corporation may underwrite and make those mortgage 33
loans through the program to persons or families who have 34
incomes that do not exceed 150 percent of the state or local 35
median income, whichever is gre ater, and at the time of 36
receiving the loan are employed full time as any of the 37
following: 38
1. A law enforcement officer as defined in s. 112.531. 39
2. A correctional officer as defined in s. 112.531 or 40
correctional probation officer as defined in s. 943 .10(3). 41
3. A 911 public safety telecommunicator certified under s. 42
401.465. 43
4. A firefighter certified under part IV of chapter 633. 44
5. An educator holding a certificate under s. 1012.56. 45
6. A paramedic or emergency medical technician as those 46
terms are defined in s. 112.1911(1). 47
7. A health care practitioner as defined in s. 456.001. 48
8. A physician assistant as defined in s. 458.347(2) or a 49
medical assistant as defined in s. 458.3485(1). 50
HB 771 2023
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
9. A home health aide as defined in s. 400.462. 51
10. A prekindergarten instructor as defined in s. 52
1002.51(6). 53
11. An employee of a public utility or an electric 54
utility, as those terms are defined in s. 366.02, whose primary 55
job responsibilities are to install or maintain systems for such 56
utility. 57
12. An electric lineman. 58
(b) Employees classified as other -personal-services 59
employees or temporary employees are not eligible for the 60
program. 61
(c) Loans must be made available for the term of the first 62
mortgage. 63
(3) This section applies to qualifying home purchases on 64
or after July 1, 2023. 65
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023. 66