Michelle Alford’s phone is always ringing, but calls have increased lately for the county’s housing services director.
“Right now we’re hearing from people about their homeowners insurance,” Alford said. “They have older roofs and a/c units and they’re losing their homeowners insurance or they can’t afford it.
“I can’t tell you how many seniors have reached out to me in a panic because they just can’t do it, and you have to have insurance to keep up with your mortgage.”
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This is where the SHIP program comes in.
SHIP is Florida’s State Housing Initiatives Partnership program that provides funds to local governments to preserve affordable housing for very low-, low- and moderate-income families.
Funding for this program was established in 1992 with the passage of the Sadowski Affordable Housing Act, increasing the doc stamp tax paid on all real estate transactions.
These funds, placed in a dedicated state and local housing trust fund, are allocated to local governments, such as Citrus County.
“This is an important grant for us,” Alford said, “and this year was Citrus County’s largest allocation, just over $1.8 million. Why this is important right now: We’re trying to keep people in their homes.”
The types of projects SHIP dollars fund include roof repair and replacement, HVAC repair and replacement, window replacement, things that make the home safer and more energy efficient.
“Not only are we helping to reduce homeowners’ insurance, but we’re helping to reduce their electric bills, which makes living expenses more affordable,” she said.
SHIP funding is also used for active emergency repairs, such as a roof leak or the a/c not working.
“We also help with mandatory utility connection,” Alford said. “If you receive a ‘365 day letter’ that you’re required to hook up to a public utility, we can assist.”
The SHIP program is open to Citrus County residents whose home is their primary homesteaded residence and the household cannot exceed an 80% AMI (Area Median Income), which is considered a low-income household.
Currently, for a family of two, annual income cannot exceed $41,950.
Florida Housing, created by the state Legislature more than 40 years ago to assist in providing a range of affordable housing opportunities for residents, has a number of programs for Florida citizens.
