Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has announced a new 8 million-dollar program to provide veterans with down payment and closing cost assistance to allow them to purchase new homes in Florida. The “Salute Our Soldiers Military Housing Loan Program,” will take effect March 2nd, and will be available to both active duty military personnel and veterans by offering assistance for securing low-interest mortgages. Florida is home to approximately 1.5 million veterans – the third highest number in the nation, behind California and Texas – and nearly 60,000 of those veterans live in Escambia or Santa Rosa counties.