Homes for Texas Heroes: DPA for Teachers, First Responders & Veterans
TSAHC’s Homes for Texas Heroes gives teachers, police, firefighters, EMS, corrections officers, veterans, and nurses down payment help with higher income limits than the general program. Here is who qualifies and how it works.
What Homes for Texas Heroes is
Homes for Texas Heroes is TSAHC’s program for Texans in specific service professions. It provides the same 2% to 5% down payment assistance as the general program, but with two advantages: higher income limits, so more of these professionals qualify, and the same choice between a grant that is never repaid and a 3-year deferred forgivable second lien. It pairs with FHA, VA, USDA, or conventional financing and accepts a 620 credit score.
Who counts as a Texas hero
The profession list is specific. On the education side: full-time professional K-12 educators, plus allied-health faculty at colleges and universities. On the public-safety side: peace officers, firefighters, EMS personnel, corrections officers, and juvenile corrections officers. On the service side: veterans and active military, with a veteran definition broad enough to waive the first-time-buyer rule. And nurses. If you work in one of these fields full-time and meet the income and credit requirements, you qualify for the Heroes track.
Grant or forgivable second?
Heroes buyers pick between two forms of help. The grant is exactly what it sounds like, money toward your down payment and closing costs that you never repay. The 3-year deferred forgivable second lien is a zero-percent loan with no monthly payment that is forgiven after 36 months, as long as you keep the home; if you sell or refinance within three years, you repay it. The grant is simplest; the forgivable second sometimes comes with a slightly better first-mortgage rate. We compare both for your situation, see repayable vs. forgivable.
Verified August 2026 against TSAHC guidelines. This is not a commitment to lend. Related: DPA + VA (veterans) · TDHCA vs. TSAHC.
Common questions
Who qualifies for Homes for Texas Heroes?
Full-time professional K-12 educators, allied-health faculty, police officers, firefighters, EMS personnel, corrections and juvenile corrections officers, veterans and active military, and nurses. Qualifying buyers get down payment assistance with higher income limits than the general TSAHC program.
How much assistance does Homes for Texas Heroes give?
2% to 5% of the loan amount, as either a grant (never repaid) or a 3-year deferred forgivable second lien (no interest, no payment, forgiven after 36 months). It pairs with FHA, VA, USDA, or conventional loans.
Do veterans have to be first-time buyers for Homes for Texas Heroes?
No. TSAHC's veteran definition (including active military) waives the first-time-buyer requirement, so a veteran who owned a home before can still use Homes for Texas Heroes.
Serve Texas? See your Heroes options
Tell us your county, credit range, and price target, and we’ll map your Texas path in a no-pressure 20-minute call. No obligation.