Can I use down payment assistance with an FHA, VA, or USDA loan?

Short answerYes, in many cases, but the pairing depends on the assistance program. Florida Hometown Heroes pairs with FHA, VA, USDA Rural Development, and conventional first mortgages. Florida Assist is verified for pairing with FHA, VA, and USDA Rural Development first mortgages. In every case, the first mortgage lender and the assistance program must both approve the combination.

Reviewed by Juan Fernando Romero, NMLS 2557318Updated October 14, 2026

The details

The reason pairing matters is that down payment assistance is usually a second mortgage sitting behind the first mortgage. The first mortgage program has its own rules about subordinate financing: what kinds of second mortgages it allows, how they are documented, and how they affect the borrower's qualifying ratios. The assistance program has its own rules about which first mortgages it will sit behind. A pairing works only when both sets of rules agree. That is why a borrower cannot assume that assistance approved for one loan type will automatically work with another, even when the borrower qualifies for both programs in isolation.

Florida Hometown Heroes is the broadest of the statewide pairings described here, because Florida Housing lists FHA, VA, USDA Rural Development, and conventional first mortgages as eligible partners. Florida Assist is narrower on the evidence available: its primary verified pairings are FHA, VA, and USDA Rural Development. This page does not claim a conventional pairing for Florida Assist, and a borrower considering that combination should ask the program administrator and the lender directly rather than assuming it. County programs add a third layer, with their own first mortgage rules that must be checked program by program.

Loan type also changes what the borrower experience looks like. An FHA pairing may suit a buyer with a smaller down payment and a lower credit profile, while a VA pairing may suit an eligible veteran or servicemember who also wants the VA loan's own benefits. A USDA Rural Development pairing only fits homes in eligible rural areas, so location becomes a gating question before assistance is even discussed. The practical step is the same in all three cases: pick the assistance program, pick the first mortgage type, and have a participating lender confirm that exact pairing, in writing where possible, before the purchase depends on it.

Related loan programs

Home loan

FHA Loans

An FHA loan is a government-insured mortgage that allows 3.5% down with a credit score of 580 or higher, or 10% down with a score from 500 to 579.

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Home loan

VA Loans

A VA loan is a mortgage guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs that lets eligible veterans, active-duty service members and certain surviving spouses buy with no down payment and no monthly mortgage insurance.

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Frequently asked questions

Does Hometown Heroes work with a VA loan?

Yes. Florida Housing lists VA among the first mortgages Hometown Heroes pairs with, alongside FHA, USDA Rural Development, and conventional.

Does Florida Assist work with a conventional loan?

That pairing is not verified on the primary sources used for this page, so this page does not claim it. Confirm directly with the program administrator and your lender if you are considering it.

Can assistance change my first mortgage approval?

It can affect qualifying, documentation, and subordinate lien review, so the lender must underwrite the first mortgage with the assistance in place, not as an afterthought.