Florida Senate - 2023                                     SB 772
       
       
        
       By Senator Davis
       
       
       
       
       
       5-01356-23                                             2023772__
    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 to be
    5         administered by the Florida Housing Finance
    6         Corporation; providing the purpose of the program;
    7         specifying requirements for loans under the program;
    8         authorizing the corporation to underwrite and make
    9         such loans to specified borrowers; specifying
   10         borrowers who are ineligible for the program;
   11         specifying that the loans must be made available for a
   12         certain period of time; providing applicability;
   13         providing an effective date.
   14          
   15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   16  
   17         Section 1. Section 420.5096, Florida Statutes, is created
   18  to read:
   19         420.5096 Florida Hometown Hero Housing Program.—
   20         (1) There is created the Florida Hometown Hero Housing
   21  Program to be administered by the corporation for the purpose of
   22  assisting frontline emergency workers, certain medical and
   23  health care personnel, and educators in purchasing a home as a
   24  primary residence. Under the program, the purchaser may reduce
   25  the amount of his or her down payment and closing costs by a
   26  maximum of 5 percent of the first mortgage loan or $25,000,
   27  whichever is less. Loans must be made available at a 0 percent
   28  interest rate. The balance of any loan is due at closing if the
   29  property is sold, refinanced, rented, or transferred unless
   30  otherwise approved by the corporation.
   31         (2) For loans made available under s. 420.507(23)(a)1. or
   32  2.:
   33         (a) The corporation may underwrite and make such mortgage
   34  loans through the program to persons or families who have
   35  incomes that do not exceed 150 percent of the state or local
   36  median income, whichever is greater, and who, at the time of
   37  receiving the loan, are employed full time as any of the
   38  following:
   39         1. A law enforcement officer as defined in s. 112.531.
   40         2. A correctional officer as defined in s. 112.531 or
   41  correctional probation officer as defined in s. 943.10(3).
   42         3. A 911 public safety telecommunicator certified under s.
   43  401.465.
   44         4. A firefighter certified under part IV of chapter 633.
   45         5. An educator holding a certificate under s. 1012.56.
   46         6. A paramedic or emergency medical technician as those
   47  terms are defined in s. 112.1911(1).
   48         7. A health care practitioner as defined in s. 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         10. A prekindergarten instructor as defined in s.
   53  1002.51(6).
   54         11. An employee of a public utility or an electric utility,
   55  as those terms are defined in s. 366.02, whose primary job
   56  responsibilities are to install or maintain systems for such
   57  utility.
   58         12. An electric lineman.
   59         (b) Employees classified as other-personal-services
   60  employees or temporary employees are not eligible for the
   61  program.
   62         (c) Loans must be made available for the term of the first
   63  mortgage.
   64         (3) This section applies to qualifying home purchases on or
   65  after July 1, 2023.
   66         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023.