Danielle Stroud, chief executive officer of Habitat for Humanity of Lake and Sumter County, told the City of Eustis commission on May 1 that the affiliate can manage a preservation-and-repair program that focuses on health, safety and accessibility work for low-income homeowners.

Stroud described the affiliate’s typical scope and scale and why she said the program complements building new homes. "We predominantly focus on health, safety and accessibility," she said. "When we go into a home and we do a scope of work, we are looking for everything, not just what the homeowner has identified as their issue."

The presentation explained why preservation work matters: maintaining existing affordable housing prevents displacement and preserves housing stock. Stroud said the affiliate is on track this fiscal year to complete about 40 home repairs across Lake and Sumter counties and to finish 18 new homes before its June fiscal-year end. She said the affiliate has invested more than $6,000,000 in local housing solutions over the past five years.

Commissioners and staff pressed on eligibility, timeline and costs. Stroud said typical critical home repairs average $15,000 to $20,000, though some projects can be larger — she cited a Mount Dora house that approached $50,000 and a Mount Dora program funded at $250,000 per year that required a 50% match. On timing, she said projects range widely by scope, but a significant repair averages about three months from intake to completion. She said Habitat does intake, project management and often serves as general contractor; subcontractors and volunteers are used depending on the job.

Commissioners discussed the city’s Community Redevelopment Area account, which staff said began with $250,000 and has been drawn down over several years. City staff said the CRA fund has been largely spent and that the commission added about $40,000 this year; under current commitments the fund can support perhaps one more project in the current fiscal year. Commissioners suggested bringing Lake Community Action in for an update on how CRA funds have been used and discussed directing staff to evaluate whether Habitat could deliver repairs across the whole city and leverage additional funding sources such as SHIP, USDA or private philanthropy.

Stroud described Habitat’s partnership model and finances: where the city is a funding partner, program eligibility and matching requirements can be negotiated; Habitat’s administrative fees vary but she cited typical ranges of about 10% to 14% depending on funder and scope, and said Habitat often raises philanthropic dollars to meet local matches. She said the affiliate does not charge for initial scopes or assessments and typically matches municipal funds dollar-for-dollar when required.

Commissioners voiced interest in making the CRA money move faster to serve homeowners and in using outside partners to expand capacity. Staff and commissioners agreed it would be useful to invite Lake Community Action to present at a future meeting so the commission can compare approaches, funding leverage and outcomes. No formal funding vote occurred at the May 1 meeting.

For residents and commissioners, the key takeaways were the program’s focus on safety and longevity, average project size, and the possibility of leveraging city CRA dollars with Habitat’s matching funds and philanthropic sources. Commissioners asked staff to return with options for how the city might structure a partnership or funding allocation in the coming fiscal year.