County updates Resilient SRQ recovery work, OKs $6.68 million for Autumn Palms and holds remainder for infrastructure

Sarasota County officials on Nov. 18 updated the Board of County Commissioners on the county’s Resilient SRQ program, which administers about $201.5 million in HUD CDBG‑DR disaster recovery funds tied to Hurricane Ian.

Steve Hyatt, the county’s program management division manager, and Kenzie Patel, policy and compliance program manager with Resilient SRQ, told commissioners the allocation has supported housing rehabilitation and reconstruction, homeowner reimbursements and a set of infrastructure projects. Patel said the housing recovery program has issued 111 reimbursement checks totaling about $2 million, repaired 74 homes and replaced 42 mobile homes to date, and is working with roughly 400 homeowners in active cases. Hyatt noted environmental reviews and HUD clearances remain necessary before some projects can proceed.

Hyatt and Patel outlined where funds have gone: about $78.4 million has been committed to infrastructure and public facilities (including water control work and evacuation corridor improvements), and roughly $48.4 million to multifamily affordable housing that staff say will produce hundreds of affordable units once completed.

The presentation also described $20 million the county projects will be available for repurposing because of underspending and administrative flexibility. Staff presented three options: return money to partially funded infrastructure projects; shift it into the county’s new storms allocation; or create a “home hardening” program to help homeowners strengthen roofs, windows and other elements to reduce future storm damage. Staff recommended the home‑hardening program as a way to reach a broad set of homeowners who do not strictly meet Hurricane Ian damage tie‑backs.

Board members debated priorities. Several said infrastructure projects — including dredging and stormwater work in parts of South County — should remain a top focus. Commissioner Mass proposed allocating $6,676,725 to the Autumn Palms (Northport) affordable‑housing project and holding the remaining funds for further discussion. After discussion and confirmation from staff about the program’s deadlines and HUD requirements, the commission voted unanimously to direct that $6,676,725 be applied to the Revital Development / Bridal Community Trust arrangement and to return the balance to the board for consideration in January.

The board separately approved two related motions earlier in the meeting to allow Revital Development Group to route awarded CDBG‑DR funds through Bright Community Trust, Inc. (an intermediary) and to authorize staff to execute a form to help the project compete for additional state financing. Those items passed unanimously.

What’s next: staff will return with a January agenda item outlining options for the remaining repurposed dollars, and staff said they will continue to post status updates and project dashboards on the Resilient SRQ site so the public can track environmental clearances, agreements and construction progress.