NOTICE: Okeechobee County is not accepting SHIP applications at this time. Notice of funding availability will be posted and advertised once the application process reopens.        

WHAT IS SHIP?

The State Housing Initiative Partnership (SHIP) Program is administered by the Florida Housing Finance Corporation. It provides funds to local governments as an incentive to create partnerships that produce and preserve affordable homeownership. SHIP funds are distributed on an entitlement basis to all 67 counties and 52 Community Development Block Grant entitlement cities in Florida.

You may be eligible for the SHIP program if:

• You are a Okeechobee County resident.
• Your household income falls within the specified guidelines.
• You complete the SHIP application and provide the required documentation.

Note: eligible mobile homes must be a 1994 or newer, no RV’s or RV lot rentals.

Florida Housing administers the State Housing Initiatives Partnership program (SHIP), which provides funds to local governments as an incentive to create partnerships that produce and preserve affordable homeownership and multifamily housing. The program is designed to serve very low-, low- and moderate-income families.

SHIP funds are distributed to all 67 counties and 55 cities in Florida. The minimum allocation is $350,000 per county. In order to participate, local governments must establish a local housing assistance program and a local housing assistance plan (LHAP).

SHIP funds may be used for:

• Purchase Assistant without Rehab
• Emergency Repair
• Owner/Occupied Rehabilitation
• Disaster Assistance
• Eviction Prevention
• Foreclosure Prevention
• Security Deposit and Last Month's Rent

Program Set-aside Requirements:

• A minimum of 65 percent of the funds must be spent on eligible homeownership activities
• A minimum of 75 percent of funds must be spent on eligible construction activities
• At least 30 percent of the funds must be reserved for very-low income households (up to 50 percent of the area median income or AMI)
• An additional 30 percent must be reserved for low income households (up to 80 percent of AMI);
• The remaining funds may be reserved for households up to 140 percent of AMI.
• No more than 10 percent of SHIP funds may be used for administrative expenses.

Funding for this program was established by the passage of the 1992 William E. Sadowski Affordable Housing Act. Funds are allocated to local governments on a population-based formula.

For more information, contact the Affordable Housing Office: 
Lacy Granados, Affordable Housing Coordinator/SHIP 
1700 NW 9th Avenue, Ste C
Okeechobee, Florida 34972
Email: lgranados@okeechobeecountyfl.gov
Office: (863) 824-3078 
Fax: (863) 763-0662