Pasco County officials told the countyoard
nd state delegation Tuesday that the county has been awarded $585,000,000 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and is preparing programs to spend the funds over multiple years. Mike Carballo, Pasco County administrator, said the county must follow federal rules on eligible uses and income limits and will hire a consultant to help manage the programs.

Why it matters: The size of the HUD award could fund housing, mitigation and infrastructure projects across Pasco but federal restrictions on who may benefit and how money is spent will shape which projects qualify.

Carballo said the majority of the dollars "must be used towards what we'll call housing," and that housing uses could range from affordable housing projects to assistance for homeowners to elevate homes out of flood zones. He told the meeting the remainder is earmarked for infrastructure, "mitigation projects" and economic revitalization that are "the least restrictive" and therefore more competitive to fund. "We have 6 years to spend the money," he said, noting the county must often spend first and receive federal reimbursements.

Officials described additional program limits. Joanna Cheshire, chief of staff, explained income-qualification rules tied to area median income: the county must prioritize households at or below income thresholds (Cheshire referenced figures “60 to 80% or less than 80%” during the discussion). Carballo and Cheshire said the county has completed many early milestones for the grant and plans to hire a consultant to assist program management and to vet mitigation and resiliency projects, such as the Zephyr Creek proposal in eastern Pasco.

County staff cautioned that federal money cannot supplant projects already funded by other sources and that projects in the countyunding pipeline may not be eligible. Carballo said the county will look for opportunities to match or stretch federal funds with other federal grants and local funds.

Officials also warned about cash-flow timing: the county may need to front costs and seek reimbursement, and consultants will help sequence projects to meet federal procurement and environmental-review requirements. "There are plenty of strings and red tape attached, but we'll certainly take their money and reinvest it in our community," Carballo said.

Ending: County staff said they will present program specifics and a recommended prioritization to the Board for action at upcoming meetings, and that the HUD-funded projects will be screened against the countyapital and policy priorities before the board finalizes legislative or budgetary requests.