Florida Senate - 2022                                     SB 788
       
       
        
       By Senator Hooper
       
       
       
       
       
       16-00850A-22                                           2022788__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Florida Hometown Hero Housing
    3         Program; creating s. 420.5096, F.S.; creating the
    4         Florida Hometown Hero Housing Program; providing the
    5         purpose of the program; specifying requirements for
    6         loans under the program; authorizing the Florida
    7         Housing Finance Corporation to underwrite and make
    8         such loans to specified borrowers; specifying
    9         ineligible employees; providing applicability;
   10         providing an effective date.
   11          
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. Section 420.5096, Florida Statutes, is created
   15  to read:
   16         420.5096 Florida Hometown Hero Housing Program.—
   17         (1) There is created the Florida Hometown Hero Housing
   18  Program for the purpose of assisting frontline emergency
   19  workers, certain medical and health care personnel, and
   20  educators in purchasing a home as their primary residence. Under
   21  the program, the purchaser may reduce the amount of the down
   22  payment and closing costs he or she pays by a maximum of 5
   23  percent of the first mortgage loan or $25,000, whichever is
   24  less. Loans must be made available at a 0 percent interest rate.
   25  The balance of any loan is due at closing if the property is
   26  sold, refinanced, rented, or transferred unless otherwise
   27  approved by the corporation.
   28         (2) For loans made available pursuant to s.
   29  420.507(23)(a)1. or 2.:
   30         (a) The corporation may underwrite and make those mortgage
   31  loans through the program to persons or families who have
   32  incomes that do not exceed 150 percent of the state median
   33  income or local median income, whichever is greater, and at the
   34  time of receiving the loan are employed full time as any of the
   35  following:
   36         1. A sworn law enforcement officer as defined in s.
   37  112.531.
   38         2. A certified correctional officer as defined in s.
   39  112.531 or correctional probation officer as defined in s.
   40  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 certified under s. 1012.56.
   45         6. A certified paramedic or emergency medical technician as
   46  those terms are defined in s. 112.1911.
   47         7. A licensed health care practitioner as defined in s.
   48  456.001.
   49         8. A physician assistant as defined in s. 458.347(2) or a
   50  medical assistant as defined in s. 458.3485(1).
   51         9. A home health aide as defined in s. 400.462.
   52         (b) Employees classified as other-personnel-services
   53  employees or temporary employees are not eligible for the
   54  program.
   55         (c) Loans must be made available for the term of the first
   56  mortgage.
   57         (3) This section applies to qualifying home purchases on or
   58  after July 1, 2022.
   59         Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.