The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted Nov. 19 to approve agreements to provide $5.9 million in State Housing Initiatives Partnership funding to nonprofit housing development organizations to assist households affected by all recent natural disasters, including hurricanes, tornadoes and flooding in the county.

The funds would be used to provide affected households assistance with down payments, owner-occupied emergency home repairs and rehabilitation, mortgage expenses, insurance deductibles and rental expenses.

The SHIP program is solely funded by the state and is locally governed by the strategies in the Local Housing Assistance Plan, which allows Lee County to implement the Disaster Assistance Strategy in the event of a disaster legally declared by executive order.

Lee County has received funds since 1999 from the SHIP program for the provision of affordable housing. The SHIP program is funded by revenues collected by the state from a surcharge on documentary stamps and distributed to counties and local governments as grants. Distributions are made on a population-based formula through the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, a state agency created to assist in providing a range of affordable housing opportunities.

Lee County has received funds since 1999 from the SHIP program for the provision of affordable housing. The SHIP program is funded by revenues collected by the state from a surcharge on documentary stamps and distributed to counties and local governments as grants. Distributions are made on a population-based formula through the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, a state agency created to assist in providing a range of affordable housing opportunities.

Funding will be awarded to the following agencies to assist households affected by recent natural disasters:

• Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry Counties, Inc.
  $1,691,357 – Downpayment Assistance for a minimum of 14 very low- and low-income households affected by recent disasters with at least three households with special needs
• Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay
  $1,000,000 – Owner Occupied Rehabilitation for a minimum of 20 very low- and low-income households affected by recent disasters with at least two households with special needs.
• Lee County Housing Development Corp.
  $900,000 – Downpayment Assistance for a minimum of seven very low- and low-income households affected by the recent disasters with at least two households with special needs.

$1,192,714 – Owner Occupied Rehabilitation for a minimum of 10 very low- and low-income households affected by recent disasters with at least five households with special needs.

$835,585 – Mortgage and Rental Assistance for a minimum of 33 very low- and low-income households affected by recent disasters with priority being given to households with special needs.

• Center for Independent Living Gulf Coast
  $290,000 – Owner Occupied Rehabilitation for a minimum of three very low- and low-income households affected by recent disasters with at least three households with special needs

There is no requirement for Lee County or the applicant to provide a match for SHIP funds awarded.