Sarasota County outlines $201.5 million Resilient SRQ housing recovery plan; homeowner aid to start soon

Sarasota County officials on Dec. 18 described a multiyear program to repair and rebuild homes damaged by Hurricane Ian and subsequent 2024 storms after the county received a direct $201,500,000 allocation from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Steve Hyatt, division manager in the county—s Office of Financial Management, told commissioners the grant must meet HUD—s national objectives, including a requirement that 70% (about $141 million) benefit households at or below 80% of area median income. Hyatt said the board approved an action plan this year allocating the funds to multiple program buckets, including $39.2 million for a multifamily affordable housing program, $55 million for homeowner-focused recovery (including a $50,000 reimbursement cap), and $45.7 million for infrastructure projects (with $25 million already set aside for the River Road mitigation project).

Hyatt said the multifamily round produced seven awards for projects that together will deliver 431 affordable units. He also said the county had combined earlier ARPA funding with CDBG-DR commitments to support a total of 1,018 affordable housing units across 14 projects. For homeowners, Hyatt described three tracks: reimbursement for repairs already completed (up to $50,000), rehabilitation awards (up to $200,000), and reconstruction awards (up to $310,000), with mobile-home replacement included in reconstruction.

Hyatt emphasized program safeguards: third-party documentation requirements, physical site inspections following HUD's Housing Quality Standards, use of nationally recognized cost-estimating software (Xactimate) to set reasonable award values, and data-sharing agreements with HUD, FEMA and the Small Business Administration to prevent duplication of benefits. He said Resilient SRQ will be administered by county staff, not outsourced to an outside grantee, and that the Clerk of Court and Comptroller—s office will be integral to payments.

The program launched a homeowner interest survey in June; Hyatt said more than 800 homeowners completed it, about 600 met the program's targeting criteria, and roughly 550 remain in the pool invited into full application. He said the county has begun moving applicants into the full application queue and that, within weeks, checks for reimbursements will be issued and multiple rehabilitation and mobile-home replacement projects will be underway.

Hyatt also said the county has submitted a letter to HUD seeking an additional direct CDBG-DR allocation and noted a pending federal funding measure that could add significant dollars for 2023 and 2024 disaster relief later this winter.

Commissioners praised the program—s outreach and staff work. Commissioner Smith called the county—s early engagement with HUD and the grant administration "excellent," and Commissioner Mast thanked staff for their persistence getting programs stood up.

The county will continue to monitor program demand and outcomes; Hyatt said if take-up and available funding allow, the county may consider expanding income eligibility or opening additional application rounds.