Tennessee program
Homeownership for Heroes
Tennessee ยท Tennessee Housing Development Agency
Quick answer
What this program appears to offer
Homeownership for Heroes is a reduced-rate Great Choice first-mortgage program for eligible hero borrowers. If a borrower also chooses Great Choice Plus, THDA offers an optional second-loan down payment assistance add-on with either $6,000 as a deferred forgivable second mortgage at 0% interest or up to 5% of the sales price, capped at $15,000, as a 30-year amortizing second mortgage at the same interest rate as the first mortgage.
Multiple assistance options
Multiple assistance options
The Homeownership for Heroes first mortgage is repaid under standard Great Choice loan terms. If Great Choice Plus is added, the deferred option has no monthly payments, carries 0% interest, is forgiven at the end of the 30-year term, and becomes due in full if the home is sold or refinanced before then. The amortizing option is repaid with monthly payments over 30 years at the same interest rate as the first mortgage.
Unknown
Trust layer
Program structure and lender rules
These fields stay free because they describe the official program rules, not a paid decision layer.
Required
Required
Not forgivable or not captured
sale, refinance
Who qualifies
Active-duty military members, National Guard members, Veterans, Law enforcement officers, Emergency medical technicians (EMTs), Paramedics, Firefighters
What support you get
Homeownership for Heroes is a reduced-rate Great Choice first-mortgage program for eligible hero borrowers. If a borrower also chooses Great Choice Plus, THDA offers an optional second-loan down payment assistance add-on with either $6,000 as a deferred forgivable second mortgage at 0% interest or up to 5% of the sales price, capped at $15,000, as a 30-year amortizing second mortgage at the same interest rate as the first mortgage.
Do you repay it?
The Homeownership for Heroes first mortgage is repaid under standard Great Choice loan terms. If Great Choice Plus is added, the deferred option has no monthly payments, carries 0% interest, is forgiven at the end of the 30-year term, and becomes due in full if the home is sold or refinanced before then. The amortizing option is repaid with monthly payments over 30 years at the same interest rate as the first mortgage.
How to apply
Apply through a THDA-approved lender.
Direct official links
Official source evidence
THDA says Homeownership for Heroes offers all the benefits of the Great Choice Home Loan plus a reduced interest rate for eligible hero borrowers. THDA's Great Choice Plus page says qualified Great Choice borrowers can also apply for a second-loan down payment assistance option with either $6,000 deferred assistance or up to 5% of the sales price, capped at $15,000.
Official documents
Last verified
2026-04-13
Effective date not captured.