Hometown Heroes: A Well-Deserved Victory

Everything changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The meaning of the word “home” shifted entirely for millions of Florida families. Even during the most challenging days, many workers – including law enforcement officers, firefighters, teachers, and health care professionals – continued to serve their communities to keep others safe, and to keep our communities moving forward. But in the face of a growing affordable housing crisis, many of these hometown heroes weren’t able to live in the communities they served.

To provide assistance to these hardworking heroes, Florida Realtors developed the idea of the Hometown Hero Housing Program, which would provide down payment and closing cost assistance. Working with Florida Realtors and their members across the state, Sachs Media quickly engaged in a comprehensive communications campaign that resulted in numerous positive outcomes. We conducted public opinion surveys and compiled data about housing affordability among relevant professions. Leveraging these relationships, our team helped build a coalition of nearly a dozen statewide organizations representing everyone from firefighters and nurses to teachers and 911 operators.

The campaign included a news conference at the Capitol, engaging video content featuring hometown heroes telling their stories, a dedicated campaign website, targeted advertising, and content toolkits for Florida Realtor members to use and share.In the end, the Legislature and Governor approved $100 million the Hometown Hero Housing Program, paving the way for countless hometown heroes and their families to get the assistance they need to buy a home.