The Hallandale Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (HBCRA, for its acronym in English) has opened its first-time homebuyer assistance program for the fiscal year 2026-2027, offering a maximum grant of $100,000 for those looking to purchase a property within the CRA district of that southern Florida city.
The funds are aimed at affordable housing buyers whose annual income falls between 50% and 120% of the median for Broward County, set at $102,500 for 2026 by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The assistance can be used for the down payment, gap financing, and closing costs, and applies to existing single-family homes, townhouses, condominiums, or new construction.
The deadline for submitting applications is June 30, 2027, although the availability of funds may shorten this period. The program operates on a "first come, first served" basis, and applications are accepted by appointment only: walk-ins are not permitted at the office located at 400 South Federal Highway.
How the loan works
The assistance is structured as a 0% interest loan, forgivable after ten years, provided that the recipient occupies the home as their primary residence for the entire period.
If the owner sells or transfers the property before the decade is up, they must return the total amount received.
The HBCRA also reserves the right of first purchase: if the owner decides to sell, the agency has 30 business days to choose to buy the property at the appraised value.
For buyers of condominiums where the lender requires mandatory capital contributions, the HBCRA can provide up to $25,000 of the $100,000 as a direct grant, without it being considered part of a second mortgage.
Those with an income between 120% and 140% of the median —a category known as workforce housing— can access up to $10,000, forgivable over five years. Priority will be given to teachers and nurses, who are entitled to an additional incentive of $5,000.
Main requirements
To be eligible, the applicant must meet all of these conditions:
- Be a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident and have lived in Florida for at least 12 months.
- Not having owned a home in the last three years.
- Not having declared bankruptcy in the last three years.
- Have a minimum credit score of 640.
- Contribute at least 2,000 dollars of your own to the purchase price.
- Complete a certified first-time homebuyer course by HUD of eight hours, with a certificate issued within the last 12 months.
- Present a pre-approval letter for a mortgage from a qualified lender.
- Keep the debt-to-income ratio for housing below 38% of gross income, and below 45% for total expenses.
Once the application has been submitted, the applicant has 45 days to deliver a signed purchase agreement; if this is not done within that time frame, the reserved funds will be released and they will need to start the process from scratch.
Current documents and form
The procedure requires copies of official identification, tax returns for the last two years along with your W-2s, pay stubs from the last six months, bank statements from the last three months, and a credit report no older than 90 days.
An important detail for Spanish speakers: the Spanish link on the HBCRA website leads to an outdated form for 2024/2025. The current form for this cycle is the one published in English in September 2026, available on the agency's residential programs page.
The program does not charge an application fee, but the agency clearly warns that submitting the application does not guarantee approval or funding.
Those looking for alternative options can also consult the state program Hometown Heroes, which offers up to $35,000 as a second mortgage at 0%. However, in this case, the loan is not forgivable and must be repaid if the property is sold or vacated. Miramar also has assistance available of up to $8,000 for relocating to a residence in that municipality.
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