Port Richey, Holiday, and Hudson Down Payment Assistance — 2026 West Pasco Buyer Guide

Port Richey, Holiday, and Hudson occupy the Gulf Coast side of Pasco County — a stretch of waterfront communities, established neighborhoods, and affordable single-family homes that look very different from the high-growth new-construction corridors of Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills. For buyers, that difference is meaningful. The same down payment assistance programs that face real headwinds in Wesley Chapel — where median prices regularly clear $400,000 — work much more effectively in West Pasco, where resale inventory and established neighborhoods still offer qualifying homes in the $200,000 to $330,000 range.

That price reality is the key advantage for West Pasco buyers using DPA in 2026. The Pasco County SHIP program, which provides up to $65,000 in assistance but caps the purchase price at $330,000, is effectively inaccessible for most Wesley Chapel buyers. In Port Richey, Holiday, and Hudson, a meaningful share of the resale market falls within that ceiling — opening doors to the largest local assistance program that most buyers in higher-priced Pasco communities can't touch.

This guide covers every program currently available to buyers in these West Pasco communities, explains how the numbers stack in the current market, and gives you the steps to start moving toward a closing.

What Down Payment Assistance Programs Are Available in Port Richey, Holiday, and Hudson?

All three communities sit within Pasco County, giving buyers access to a combination of Florida Housing Finance Corporation statewide programs and county-level assistance. Here is the 2026 lineup:

• Florida Hometown Heroes — up to $35,000 in down payment and closing cost assistance; relaunched July 13, 2026 with $50 million in new funding after prior-cycle funds were fully exhausted
• FL Assist Second Mortgage — up to $10,000 as a 0% interest deferred second mortgage with no monthly payment; repaid when you sell, refinance, or pay off the first loan
• Home Key Plus Second Mortgage — launched May 2026; provides up to $7,500 for Pasco County buyers at 0% interest deferred; not forgivable but carries no monthly payment and can be stacked with Hometown Heroes and FL Assist
• Pasco County SHIP — up to $65,000 as a 0% interest, 30-year deferred second mortgage that may be forgiven after 30 years of owner-occupancy; purchase price capped at $330,000; income limits apply

For buyers who can find a qualifying home at or below $330,000 — which is genuinely achievable in Port Richey, Holiday, and Hudson — Pasco County SHIP represents the most powerful single-program option available anywhere in the county. At the upper end, a fully stacked combination of Hometown Heroes plus FL Assist plus Home Key Plus delivers up to $52,500 in total assistance with no monthly payments on any of the three second mortgages.

How Does the Pasco County SHIP Program Work in These Communities?

Pasco County's SHIP program is funded through Florida's State Housing Initiatives Partnership and administered locally through Pasco County Community Development, headquartered in New Port Richey at 8731 Citizens Drive. The office covers all of Pasco County, and buyers in Port Richey, Holiday, and Hudson are fully eligible.

The program provides a deferred second mortgage at 0% interest for 30 years. No monthly payments are required during the deferral period. After 30 years of owner-occupancy, the loan may be fully forgiven. The loan becomes due upon sale, refinance, or change of primary residency.

Key program parameters for 2026:

• Maximum assistance: up to $65,000 depending on income band and need
• Purchase price ceiling: $330,000
• Income limit: generally 80% of Pasco County Area Median Income for deeper assistance tiers; some tiers may allow up to 120% AMI — confirm current bands directly with Pasco County Community Development at (727) 834-3447
• Required buyer contribution: $500 to $1,500 depending on income band; can include earnest money deposit, appraisal, or inspection fees already paid
• Liquid asset limit: applicants may not have more than $25,000 in liquid assets at application
• First-time buyer requirement: must not have owned and occupied a primary residence in the past three years

For buyers whose income falls at or below 80% of Pasco County's 2026 Area Median Income (AMI of $104,700 puts that threshold around $83,760 for a single-person household), SHIP is the most impactful single program in the county. A $65,000 deferred loan covers down payment, closing costs, and prepaid items on most transactions in this price range — and because it carries no interest and no monthly payment, it does not affect your debt-to-income ratio during qualification.

Does the SHIP Purchase Price Cap Work in West Pasco?

This is where Port Richey, Holiday, and Hudson buyers hold a genuine structural advantage over buyers in other parts of Pasco County. In 2026, these communities still offer meaningful resale inventory below or near the $330,000 SHIP ceiling:

• Port Richey: established single-family neighborhoods with smaller lots; a solid portion of the resale market is priced in the $200,000 to $320,000 range
• Holiday: Pinellas County border community with a mix of 1960s-1980s homes; many properties trade between $220,000 and $310,000
• Hudson: waterfront and near-waterfront community known for fishing and Gulf access; canal homes and non-waterfront properties often fall in the $240,000 to $350,000 range, with waterfront homes typically above the SHIP ceiling

Buyers should work with an experienced local REALTOR® who understands DPA purchase price limits and can filter out properties that won't qualify before the search gets underway. Properties with water access in Hudson tend to command premiums that push them past the $330,000 ceiling, while non-waterfront neighborhoods in Hudson, Port Richey, and Holiday remain competitive hunting grounds for SHIP-eligible inventory.

Non-waterfront buyers in these communities who qualify on income have a realistic path to combining SHIP ($65,000) with a conventional or FHA first mortgage — producing some of the most favorable total-cost-of-ownership outcomes available to any DPA buyer in the Tampa Bay region.

How Can West Pasco Buyers Stack Multiple Programs?

Stacking maximizes available assistance and works particularly well in West Pasco because the price points make it possible to layer programs that can't be combined in higher-cost parts of the metro. Here are two scenarios:

Scenario 1 — Income-qualifying buyer under 80% AMI, home priced at $299,000:

• Pasco County SHIP: up to $65,000 toward down payment and closing costs
• Total cash to close: potentially $0 to $3,000 after SHIP covers the FHA 3.5% down payment ($10,465) and most closing costs

Scenario 2 — Buyer above 80% AMI but under Hometown Heroes income limit, home priced at $325,000:

• Florida Hometown Heroes: 5% of $325,000 first mortgage = $16,250
• FL Assist Second Mortgage: $10,000 deferred
• Home Key Plus: $7,500 deferred
• Total combined assistance: $33,750
• FHA minimum down payment at $325,000: $11,375
• Estimated closing costs: $7,000 to $9,000
• Cash to close after assistance: $0 to $4,625 depending on seller concessions and how the numbers align

For more detail on how these three FHFC programs layer together, see our guide to stacking Hometown Heroes with SHIP in Florida. For the full Home Key Plus breakdown for Pasco County, see our post on Home Key Plus for Pinellas, Pasco, and Polk County buyers.

What Are the Income Limits for DPA Programs in West Pasco?

Income limits depend on which program you are applying for:

• Florida Hometown Heroes: 150% of Pasco County AMI — approximately $157,050 for most household sizes at the 2026 AMI of $104,700
• FL Assist: follows FHFC income limits, similar to Hometown Heroes
• Home Key Plus: follows FHFC income limits; minimum 660 credit score required (slightly higher than Hometown Heroes' 640 floor)
• Pasco County SHIP: 80% to 120% AMI depending on the assistance tier; the higher-assistance tiers require income at or below 80% AMI (~$83,760 for a single buyer)

For a full breakdown of how income limits work across all Florida DPA programs, see our income limits for down payment assistance in Florida guide. If you are close to a boundary, a participating lender can run the numbers with your actual household income and size before you formally apply.

What Property Types Qualify for DPA in Port Richey, Holiday, and Hudson?

All three FHFC statewide programs — Hometown Heroes, FL Assist, and Home Key Plus — are compatible with single-family homes, townhomes, and FHA/FNMA-eligible condominiums. The home must be the buyer's primary residence.

A few property notes specific to West Pasco:

• Condominiums: must be on the FHA or Fannie Mae approved-condo list to use with government or FHFC-backed loans; many older condo complexes in this area have not maintained that approval status, so check early
• Canal-front and waterfront homes: eligible as long as the purchase price falls within program limits; however, flood insurance requirements in waterfront-adjacent areas can materially affect your debt-to-income ratio during qualification
• Older homes: West Pasco's housing stock includes many 1960s through 1980s-era homes that may require inspections to confirm absence of lead paint or other conditions that could affect FHA loan eligibility

For buyers wondering how Florida's ongoing insurance cost environment affects their DPA approval, our post on Florida's insurance crisis and your DPA approval explains how to plan around higher insurance premiums when running your qualification numbers.

What Are the Next Steps for Buyers in Port Richey, Holiday, or Hudson?

The most effective path forward:

1. Check your credit score. Hometown Heroes requires a 640 FICO minimum; Home Key Plus requires 660. If you are below either threshold, targeted credit repair in the 60 to 90 days before application can make the difference. Our guide to credit score requirements for DPA in Florida explains what lenders look for and what moves the needle fastest.
2. Determine your income tier. Whether you qualify for Pasco County SHIP (80% or 120% AMI) versus the FHFC statewide programs (up to 150% AMI) determines which program stack is available to you and changes the total assistance ceiling significantly. A quick income review with a participating lender clarifies this before you begin searching.
3. Connect with an experienced DPA lender. Not every lender is approved for FHFC programs, and fewer still have experience running Hometown Heroes, FL Assist, Home Key Plus, and SHIP simultaneously in a single transaction. Call (813) 733-7907 to speak with a lender who works West Pasco buyers regularly and can build the right program stack from the start.
4. Complete your homebuyer education course early. Every major DPA program requires it. Completing it once satisfies all programs simultaneously. HUD-approved online courses are widely available and typically take four to eight hours.
5. Set your price ceiling before touring. Knowing whether you are targeting a SHIP-eligible property below $330,000 or an FHFC-eligible home at higher price points shapes which neighborhoods to focus on before you start visiting homes. For current West Pasco listings at DPA-eligible price points, nowtb.com provides real-time Pasco County inventory with neighborhood-level filtering.

West Pasco's affordable price points, Gulf Coast access, and established neighborhoods make Port Richey, Holiday, and Hudson compelling options for buyers who want to maximize their down payment assistance. The communities where DPA programs actually function as designed — where a $330,000 purchase price cap is workable and stacking three programs can genuinely cover most upfront costs — are increasingly rare in the Tampa Bay market. West Pasco is one of the places where the math still works in the buyer's favor.

First-time buyers navigating these programs for the first time will find step-by-step guidance at First Time Home Buyer Tampa Bay, built specifically for buyers working through Florida's DPA landscape from credit check to closing.