Pasco County Down Payment Assistance 2026: Get Up to $65,000

Pasco County runs one of the most generous down payment assistance programs in the entire Tampa Bay region — and most first-time buyers have never heard of it.

While buyers in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties compete for $25,000 to $30,000 in SHIP funds, Pasco County offers eligible first-time buyers up to $65,000.php) in down payment and closing cost help. That's more than double what neighboring counties provide, at 0% interest, with forgiveness provisions for lower-income buyers.

If you're considering New Port Richey, Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills, or any other part of Pasco County, this program deserves a close look before you assume you can't afford to buy.

What Is Pasco County's Down Payment Assistance Program?

Pasco County's DPA is funded through the State Housing Initiatives Partnership — the same SHIP program that sends money to every county in Florida each year. But unlike Hillsborough or Pinellas, Pasco County has structured its program with significantly higher benefit amounts and three distinct income tiers to serve a wide range of buyers.

The funds come as a deferred second mortgage at 0% interest. You do not make monthly payments on it. Instead, the balance is due when you sell the home, refinance, or stop using it as your primary residence. For lower-income buyers, the entire loan is forgiven after 30 years — meaning it effectively becomes a grant if you stay in the home long enough.

This is not a promotional tool or a teaser. It is a government-funded program that has helped hundreds of Pasco County families buy homes they couldn't have otherwise afforded.

How Much Can Pasco County First-Time Buyers Receive?

The assistance amount depends entirely on your household income relative to the Area Median Income (AMI) for the Tampa Bay area.

Very Low Income (at or below 50% AMI): Up to $65,000

This is the top tier. A household of two people earning roughly $39,700 or less per year would qualify in this bracket. For buyers in this income range, $65,000 represents a substantial portion of — or in some cases more than — the full purchase price of a modestly priced Pasco County home.

Low Income (at or below 80% AMI): Up to $50,000

A household of two earning approximately $63,500 or less per year typically falls here. Fifty thousand dollars covers a full FHA down payment plus all closing costs on most homes in the program's purchase price range.

Moderate Income (at or below 120% AMI): Up to $35,000

A household of two earning up to roughly $95,300 per year may qualify in this bracket. At $35,000, a buyer can cover a complete 3.5% FHA down payment and nearly all closing costs on a $300,000 home.

All three tiers use the same 0% interest structure. The key difference: only the Very Low Income and Low Income tiers include full forgiveness after 30 years. Moderate Income buyers should confirm forgiveness terms directly with Pasco County Community Development, as those terms may vary by program cycle.

Income limits are updated annually and adjusted by household size. A single buyer has a lower income cap than a household of four. Do not rule yourself out based on a rough estimate — the actual calculation involves household size adjustments and deductions that can move the number meaningfully.

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Think you might qualify? Barrett Henry, REALTOR® works with Pasco County buyers daily and can tell you within minutes whether the DPA is within reach. Call (813) 733-7907 or check your eligibility now — takes less than 2 minutes.

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What Is the Purchase Price Cap?

This is the most important constraint in the Pasco County DPA program: the home must be priced at $330,000 or less.

In some parts of Pasco County — particularly established neighborhoods in Wesley Chapel, Trinity, and Odessa — median prices now run above $330,000. That means buyers targeting those premium pockets may not qualify for the program even if their income does.

In other parts of Pasco County, the cap works in your favor. Zephyrhills, Dade City, Holiday, and Hudson all have significant inventory below $330,000. New Port Richey has entry-level condos and townhomes in the $220,000 to $290,000 range. Land O' Lakes and Lutz have select neighborhoods with resale inventory below the cap.

The practical advice: work with a buyer's agent who knows which specific communities and property types fall under the cap. Barrett Henry, REALTOR® has helped buyers find DPA-eligible properties throughout Pasco County, including several where sellers have accepted offers below asking specifically to land under the $330,000 threshold.

What Are the Other Eligibility Requirements?

Beyond income and purchase price, Pasco County DPA has a standard checklist:

First-time buyer status. You must not have owned a home in the past 3 years. This is the standard definition used by most assistance programs. If you owned a home prior to 2023 and have been renting since, you likely qualify.

Primary residence only. The home must be your primary residence. Investment properties, vacation homes, and second homes are not eligible.

Completion of homebuyer education. You must complete a HUD-approved homebuyer education course before closing. Pasco County refers buyers to Suncoast Housing Connections, reachable at (727) 442-7075. The class typically runs 6 to 8 hours and is available online for around $75 to $99. Your completion certificate is valid for two years.

A signed purchase contract. Most SHIP applications require an executed contract on a specific property before the funding can be reserved. This means your pre-approval and homebuyer education should be done first, so you're ready to submit quickly once you're under contract.

A participating lender. Not every mortgage lender is set up to process DPA layering correctly. Pasco County DPA requires working with a lender who is familiar with the program. If your lender hasn't done a Pasco County SHIP deal before, that's a problem — the paperwork and sequencing requirements are specific enough that inexperienced loan officers routinely delay or derail closings.

Property location in Pasco County. The home must be located within Pasco County limits. This sounds obvious, but it matters for buyers searching near the Hillsborough or Pinellas county lines. A home in Land O' Lakes, for example, is in Pasco County. A home in Lutz may be in either Hillsborough or Pasco depending on the exact parcel.

How Does Pasco County DPA Stack With Other Programs?

This is where Pasco County buyers have a significant structural advantage.

Pasco County's DPA is designed to work alongside state-level programs, not compete with them. The most powerful combination is Pasco County DPA stacked with Florida Hometown Heroes.

Here's how that math works on a $310,000 home:

• FHA loan at 3.5% down: Down payment = $10,850
• Hometown Heroes (up to 5% of first mortgage): Up to ~$14,900
• Pasco County DPA (Moderate Income tier): Up to $35,000
• Total available assistance: Up to $49,900
• Estimated closing costs on a $310K home: $6,000 to $9,000
• Potential out-of-pocket: $0 to a few hundred dollars

For a Low Income buyer using the $50,000 tier, the numbers are even more favorable. The goal in both cases is to arrive at the closing table with minimal cash out of pocket — while also completing the purchase with a loan you can comfortably afford over time.

Buyers who are eligible for VA loans can stack Pasco County DPA with their VA benefit to cover closing costs entirely, since VA loans already require $0 down. Understanding how to choose the right lender for DPA layering is critical in any stacking scenario.

For comparison, Hillsborough and Pinellas County SHIP programs offer $25,000 to $30,000 — strong programs in their own right, but structurally capped below what Pasco County makes available to its residents.

How Quickly Does Pasco County DPA Funding Run Out?

Pasco County DPA is funded annually through SHIP allocations from the state of Florida. Once a year's allocation is committed to active files, new applicants go on a waitlist or are moved to the next funding cycle.

Unlike some counties where SHIP funds are exhausted within weeks of a new release, Pasco County has historically maintained longer availability windows. But that can change as the county's population grows — Wesley Chapel alone added tens of thousands of residents over the past five years, and more buyers are becoming aware of local DPA options.

The safest approach: start the process before you find a house. Complete your homebuyer education, get pre-approved, and confirm current DPA availability with Pasco County Community Development at (727) 834-3447. That way, when the right home comes along under the $330,000 cap, your application is ready to submit within days.

Where in Pasco County Can You Use This Program?

The DPA is available on any eligible property within Pasco County limits. That includes:

• New Port Richey and Holiday — older inventory often under $280,000, including attached homes and small single-family properties
• Zephyrhills — strong resale market with homes regularly priced between $250,000 and $310,000
• Dade City — rural feel with land, pricing often below $300,000
• Hudson and Bayoport — Gulf Coast communities with affordable entry points
• Select areas of Wesley Chapel and Land O' Lakes — some resale inventory falls below the $330,000 cap, particularly townhomes and smaller single-family homes

New construction is allowed in most cases, but purchase prices for new builds in Wesley Chapel, Wiregrass, and similar communities often exceed $330,000. If you're focused on new construction, confirm the specific lot and floor plan price before counting on DPA eligibility. Our guide to Wesley Chapel new construction and DPA covers builder-specific pricing and incentive options in detail.

How Barrett Henry Helps Pasco County Buyers

Finding eligible properties, sequencing the program applications, coordinating with a DPA-approved lender, writing an offer that signals funding readiness to the seller — none of these steps happen automatically.

Barrett Henry, REALTOR®, has 23+ years of real estate experience working with first-time buyers throughout Pasco, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Polk, and Hernando counties. He knows which lenders process Pasco County DPA reliably, how to structure offers for DPA-funded buyers so sellers take them seriously, and how to help buyers find eligible properties that match both their needs and the program's price cap.

The first call is the most important one. Before you start touring homes, let Barrett confirm your income tier, estimate your total available assistance, and identify which neighborhoods and property types fit your situation. Call (813) 733-7907 or check your eligibility at firsttimehomebuyertb.com/eligibility.

Up to $65,000 in 0% interest assistance is on the table. The only thing standing between most Pasco County first-time buyers and that money is knowing to ask for it.