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Finance committee hears update on SHIP foreclosure‑intervention, heirs property funding
Summary
Travis Jeffrey, chief of housing, told the Finance Committee that SHIP allocations included $750,000 for foreclosure intervention (about $317,000 spent so far) and $400,000 for heirs property support; state SHIP rules (75% construction set‑aside and 10% admin) limit non‑construction uses and staff warned older allocations face three‑year spending windows.
Travis Jeffrey, chief of the Housing and Community Development Division, updated the Duval County Finance Committee on the city’s SHIP allocations, saying last year’s awards included $750,000 for a foreclosure‑intervention program and $400,000 for an heirs‑property program. "Last year, we funded the foreclosure intervention program at $750,000," Jeffrey said, and added that of that amount the city has expended about $317,000, leaving roughly 58 percent of the allocation unspent but still within the SHIP three‑year expenditure window.
Jeffrey told the committee that state SHIP rules require roughly 75 percent of the dollars to go toward construction‑related activity and that a 10 percent administrative set‑aside reduces the share available for non‑construction programs. "Once we take our 10% off the top for admin dollars, that only leaves about 15% of the total funds that can go for non‑construction related activities," he said.
On the heirs‑property program, Jeffrey said the county issued an RFP and contracted with two vendors. Under the original contract JALA received roughly $215,000 per year and LISC received the remainder; amendments have added funding and extended contract terms. Jeffrey said Jacksonville Legal Aid expended its initial allocation and had a remaining balance from an amendment, while LISC retained unspent contract funds that remain available for heirs‑property work.
A council member cautioned against reallocating heirs‑property money solely because a vendor has unspent funds, urging the council to judge reallocations by program impact rather than pace of spending. Jeffrey noted that some older SHIP tranches are nearing their three‑year spending deadline and said staff will manage allocations to avoid losing federal/state funds if deadlines cannot be met.
The committee asked for the usual follow‑up details; Jeffrey said staff would return during the budget cycle with further recommendations and, if necessary, propose reallocations as part of the full‑budget process. The presentation closed with no immediate changes to allocations.
