OHFA Shield for Oklahoma police officers and law enforcement

Who is covered

OHFA Shield covers police officers, patrol officers, sheriffs and other government law enforcement, including volunteer and reserve officers. You must be CLEET certified (Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training), and your lender verifies current employment.

There's an open question on employer type. OHFA's web page lists sheriffs and other government law enforcement, while the product guide says employed by an Oklahoma municipality. If you work for a county or the state, have an OHFA-approved lender confirm how OHFA treats your agency.

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.

Overtime and shift pay

OHFA counts annualized gross income for everyone 18 and older in your home. Heavy overtime can push you toward your county's limit, so give your lender a full picture early. See the limits.

Reserve and volunteer officers

Reserve and volunteer officers are named in OHFA's Shield wording. You still need CLEET certification.

Papers to have handy

• CLEET certification
• Recent pay stubs and your department's 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
• Firefighters
• EMTs & paramedics
• Oklahoma state employees