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County votes to exit HOME consortium with City of Sarasota and take lead on HOME program
Summary
Sarasota County commissioners unanimously directed staff to disband the HOME consortium with the City of Sarasota and to authorize the county administrator to take administrative steps to assume HOME program responsibilities and pursue direct allocations from HUD.
The Sarasota County Commission on June 4 voted unanimously to disband the county’s long‑standing HOME consortium with the City of Sarasota and authorized the county administrator to take administrative steps necessary to effect the change.
Steve Hyatt, division manager in the Office of Financial Management, explained the HOME program is a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) formula grant that supports affordable housing activities. The county has been in a consortium with the City of Sarasota under an interlocal agreement dating to 1991; the City of Sarasota has served as lead entity under the current agreement since 2001.
Hyatt told commissioners that HUD requires periodic requalification of consortia and that county staff had been discussing whether to continue the consortium, swap the lead entity, or disband. The board chose to disband the consortium (option 3), which staff said would shift the lead‑entity responsibilities and future direct HOME formula allocations to the county. Staff said existing, previously awarded HOME funds currently in City of Sarasota accounts would remain with the city unless an MOU is negotiated to transfer administration of those unexpended balances.
Commissioners cited the need to speed up administration and distribution of unexpended HOME funds. Commissioner Cutzinger moved and Commissioner Mast seconded a motion to approve items A and B — disbanding the consortium and authorizing the county administrator to take related administrative actions. The motion passed unanimously.
Hyatt and commissioners discussed timing: a formal notice to HUD is required by mid‑June for the requalification cycle and staff said they had prepared draft county action‑plan language so Sarasota County could receive direct allocations in the next program year. The county estimated it typically receives about $600,000 annually under a county‑only allocation versus roughly $800,000 under the current consortium, but staff argued the county could administer programs more quickly and pursue use of an estimated $8 million of older unexpended funds that remain in the consortium account through negotiated arrangements.
The board directed staff to notify HUD and the City of Sarasota of the decision and to return as needed with MOUs or other agreements to address currently unexpended HOME funds.
