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County staff proposes expanding SHIP program to include manufactured and modular homes; commissioners debate guidance and principal-reduction use
Summary
Hardee County grants staff proposed adding manufactured, modular and newer mobile homes into the county’s SHIP program eligibility on July 14, subject to state caps and program rules; commissioners asked staff to refine guidance on FHA setup standards and fund-use mechanics.
Hardee County interim grants coordinator Topanga Arana presented recommended updates July 14 to the county’s State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) Local Housing Assistance Plan (LHAP) to allow manufactured, modular and newer mobile homes as eligible housing under SHIP-funded programs.
Arana told commissioners the county receives about $350,000 per year in SHIP allocation, with funds split among first-time homebuyer assistance, demolition and rehabilitation programs. She said the proposal would allow manufactured and modular homes (including new manufactured homes and modular ‘barndominium’-style units) and would treat existing mobile-home rehabilitations differently; the staff recommendation is to prefer replacement with a manufactured home rather than replacing a mobile home with another mobile home. Arana said SHIP rules would limit assistance for manufactured/mobile homes to a state-imposed 20% cap of the county allocation and that eligible manufactured/mobile units typically must be 1994 or newer.
Commissioner questions focused on ensuring compliance with FHA and lender standards for setup and financing (for instance, ground pretreatment, septic/site work and unit anchorage), whether used units could be financed, and program mechanics. Arana said staff would prefer new units rather than used and that SHIP inspections and the program manual prevent assistance on units that are not “move-in ready” or that exceed repair thresholds (the program distinguishes repairs vs. demo based on an approximate 50%-of-value threshold for rehabilitation). Commissioners and staff discussed obstacles to siting site-built homes in some zoned areas and referred to modular/manufactured homes as a path to improve housing quality without rezoning.
Commissioner Flores raised a separate, recurring program question about SHIP down-payment assistance amounts: whether leftover grant funds in an approved award could be returned as a principal reduction on the borrower’s mortgage so excess funds could be reallocated to help other families. Staff said changing promised closing amounts creates administrative burdens for lenders and closing agents, but agreed to review the SHIP manual and surrounding-county practices and return with recommendations in the LHAP update.
No policy change was adopted at the meeting; staff said it will prepare LHAP language and return for board action.
