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County staff outlines SHIP allocations and programs, including purchase assistance and rehab loans
Summary
Sarasota County's Office of Financial Management told commissioners the county's initial SHIP allocation (~$2.9 million) is being distributed across owner rehab, purchase assistance and an ARCH developer program; staff said most SHIP awards are structured as deferred or forgivable loans and that processing follows a first‑in, first‑out waiting list model.
Steve Hyde, division manager for the program management division in the Office of Financial Management, gave an overview of the State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) program and how Sarasota County is implementing its local housing assistance plan (LHAP).
Hyde said SHIP is a long‑standing state program administered by the Florida Housing Finance Corporation that provides allocations to counties for eligible affordable‑housing strategies. Sarasota County’s first allocation under the county LHAP was about $2.9 million. Hyde described three strategies already launched: purchase assistance (maximum award up to $75,000 per qualifying household), owner‑occupied rehabilitation (maximum award up to $100,000), and an ARCH program to support acquisition/rehab/new construction for developers (maximum award up to $450,000).
Hyde stressed that SHIP funds are primarily delivered as loans—often deferred or forgivable over time—rather than unconditional grants. He said the county is partnering with nonprofits (for example, Rebuilding Together Greater Florida) to deliver rehabilitation services and that some 100 applicants applied to the rehab program last fall; staff are processing the queue and will reopen applications as funds are replenished.
Commissioners asked operational questions about waiting lists and contractor selection; Hyde said applicants on the waiting list are processed first‑in, first‑out and that eligibility information is refreshed as needed. Commissioners praised the in‑house administration and urged prioritizing resilience measures in rehab work.
Next steps: staff will continue to encumber and expend allocations under the three strategies, process the current waiting list, and return with updates as new allocations arrive.
