OHFA Shield for Oklahoma firefighters

Who is covered

You qualify if you're currently employed as a firefighter by a fire department of an Oklahoma municipality, or currently serve a volunteer fire department as a volunteer firefighter. Your lender verifies your employment or volunteer service.

OHFA's wording doesn't clearly cover firefighters who work for a county or a private employer. If that's you, ask an OHFA-approved lender to confirm before you apply.

OHFA 4 Schools (formerly OHFA 4Teachers) and OHFA Shield are special rates on the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency's Gold loan. You get 0.125% off the posted Gold rate, plus 3.5% of the loan amount as a 0% interest second mortgage with no monthly payment. That second mortgage is not a grant and is not forgiven: you repay it when you sell, refinance, transfer the home, stop living in it, or the first mortgage ends.

Volunteer firefighters count

If you serve a volunteer fire department, that service qualifies you for Shield even if your paying job is something else, as long as the household meets the income limit.

Shift income

OHFA uses annualized gross income for every household member 18 and older. Your lender totals it the same way whether you work 24-hour shifts or a regular week.

Papers to have handy

• Recent pay stubs or a letter confirming volunteer service
• Fire department contact for verification
• W-2s and tax returns
• Income documents for every household member 18 and older

Questions people ask

Other jobs that count

• Teachers & school employees
• Police officers & sheriffs
• EMTs & paramedics
• Oklahoma state employees