Guide · North Carolina

North Carolina's Homes for Heroes bill: where it stands and what to use now

What North Carolina's proposed Homes for Heroes bill (SB 789) would give teachers, police, firefighters, EMS and military buyers, where it stands, and the programs you can use today.

Quick answer:

Senate Bill 789 would give first-time buyers who are teachers, law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMS workers, active-duty military or veterans up to the lesser of $25,000 or 10% of the price. As of November 2026 it is not law and not funded. Its last action was April 23, 2026. Today, use NCHFA's 3% or $15,000 help, Greensboro's Public Service Heroes tier, the House Charlotte employee tier, or HUD's Good Neighbor Next Door.

What this guide answers

Teachers and first responders hear about "Homes for Heroes" and ask if they should wait for it. This guide covers what the bill says, where it stands, and the step-by-step plan for buying with what exists now.

Step 1: Know the bill's status

Filed: April 21, 2026, as Senate Bill 789, by Sen. Woodson Bradley and other sponsors.
Referred: to Senate Rules on April 22, 2026, then to Senate Appropriations/Base Budget on April 23, 2026.
Since then: no further action found and no votes recorded.
The budget: the state budget (SB 257) was signed July 7, 2026. Summaries of it don't mention the program.
Earlier try: a 2025 version, SB 632, was referred to Senate Rules on March 26, 2025 and didn't move.

Bottom line: there is no Homes for Heroes money to apply for in North Carolina right now.

Step 2: Know what it would offer if passed

As filed, SB 789 would have NCHFA run the program. Its main terms:

Item	As filed
Amount	Up to the lesser of $25,000 or 10% of the purchase price
Uses	Down payment, closing costs and up to 60 months of mortgage insurance
Who	First-time buyers employed full-time in North Carolina as teachers, law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMS personnel, active-duty military, or veterans
Funding	$200 million in recurring funds for FY2026-27

Bills often change before they pass, so a final version could look different. Nurses are not on the filed list.

Step 3: Use NCHFA's programs now

NCHFA's programs have no job requirement. Teachers, officers, firefighters, EMTs, nurses and veterans qualify on the same terms as anyone:

NC Home Advantage Mortgage with 3%: up to 3% of the loan, for first-time and move-up buyers with income up to $158,000.
NC 1st Home Advantage Down Payment: $15,000 for first-time buyers, qualifying veterans and buyers in targeted census tracts, within county income limits and a $525,000 price cap.

Both need a 640 credit score and a debt-to-income ratio of 45% or less. Both are forgiven in years 11 through 15. Your lender verifies your job as part of normal underwriting. You don't need to prove your occupation.

Step 4: Check the two job-based local programs

Greensboro Public Service Heroes

Up to $20,000, plus a $10,000 bonus in some neighborhoods, for a maximum of $30,000. It's forgivable over up to 10 years with no price limit. It covers first-time buyers in Greensboro city limits who are:

City of Greensboro or Guilford County employees
Guilford County public school teachers and administrators
active-duty military, including National Guard and Coast Guard, or veterans

Household income can go up to 120% of area median income. Police, fire and EMS qualify only as City or County employees.

House Charlotte employee tier

City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools employees earning above 80% up to 110% of area median income can get up to $30,000 without the matching-funds rule other buyers in that tier face. That takes in CMPD officers, Charlotte Fire and CMS teachers. The home must be in Charlotte city limits and priced at $365,000 or less. Funding is limited.

Step 5: Look at Good Neighbor Next Door

HUD's Good Neighbor Next Door program sells certain HUD-owned homes in revitalization areas at 50% off list price to full-time:

pre-K through 12 teachers at state-accredited schools
sworn law enforcement officers
firefighters and EMTs at government fire or EMS units

Nurses aren't eligible. With FHA, the down payment is $100. You must live in the home as your only residence for 36 months, and you sign a silent second mortgage for the discount that shrinks to zero over that time. Homes are listed on HUD Home Store and are available for 7 days in the lottery period. Supply is small and changes weekly, and North Carolina listings weren't checked for this guide.

The other eligibility rules: neither you nor your spouse can have owned residential property in the year before you bid, and you can only use the program once.

Step 6: Decide whether to wait

Ask yourself three questions:

Do you qualify for NCHFA's $15,000 option today? That's what SB 789's 10% rule would give on a $150,000 home, and it's available now.
Would waiting mean higher rent and prices with no date in sight? The bill has no scheduled vote.
Could a local program add more? In Greensboro or Charlotte, a job-based tier can add up to $30,000.

Keep in mind that the bill, as filed, covers first-time buyers only, so buying now would likely rule you out if it ever passes. Weigh a sure $15,000 today against an uncertain $25,000 with no date attached. For most teachers and first responders, today's programs are the practical move.

Start now: check your eligibility for the programs that are open today.

Reader questions

Is North Carolina's Homes for Heroes program open?

No. Senate Bill 789 is a proposal, not law. As of November 2026 it's sitting in Senate Appropriations/Base Budget with no votes, and the July 2026 state budget doesn't include it.

How much would Homes for Heroes give in North Carolina?

As filed, up to the lesser of $25,000 or 10% of the price, for down payment, closing costs and up to 60 months of mortgage insurance. A final version could differ.

Are nurses included in NC's Homes for Heroes bill?

Not in the filed version. It lists teachers, law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMS personnel, active-duty military and veterans. Nurses can use NCHFA's regular programs today.

What can North Carolina teachers use instead right now?

NCHFA's 3% or $15,000 forgivable help, Greensboro's Public Service Heroes tier for Guilford County teachers, the House Charlotte employee tier for CMS staff, and HUD's Good Neighbor Next Door for pre-K to 12 teachers.

Print it out: our North Carolina readiness checklist puts the rules, papers, steps and lender questions on one sheet with boxes to tick. Get the PDF