Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the SHIP Waiting List topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Walton County SHIP manager closes waiting list to reduce backlog, aims to reduce queue to 20 households
Summary
The county’s SHIP coordinator told the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee she paused the SHIP waiting list to prequalify applicants; Walton County’s list dropped from 'over 60' to 'about 30' and staff aim to reduce it to 20 or fewer so funds can be spent more effectively. SHIP funds for 2026 were said to be already committed to existing cases.
Teresa, the SHIP/Walton Homes representative, told the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee that she closed the SHIP waiting list to focus on clearing a long backlog and to ensure funds are used for durable solutions.
"With the first round we were able to go from about, in Walton County specifically, I think we were over 60 households. We are now down to about 30," she said, describing a prequalification and letter campaign to confirm continued interest. Teresa said the waiting list reduction happened because some households no longer live in the region, no longer qualify, or are deceased.
Teresa said the SHIP budget for 2026 has been released but is "essentially already promised" to those on the waiting list; she noted the program typically can serve about two to seven households per year depending on whether projects are full replacements or smaller rehabs. She said her preference is to avoid short-term fixes and instead provide full replacements when appropriate: "I would rather just solve the problem right then and there and then move on to the next household."
Teresa explained operational choices to make program dollars stretch, such as considering smaller unit sizes for some families. She told the committee she hopes to reduce the list to 20 households or fewer so the county can reliably serve recipients within the grant timeline. Staff agreed to circulate a representation of the budget to the committee by email or at the next meeting.
What’s next: Teresa will continue prequalification and staff will provide the committee with a budget representation; committee members were advised to direct public inquiries about the closed list to staff.
