SUBJECT:
Title
Request Approval of Revised Marion County State Housing Initiatives Partnership Local Housing Assistance Plan 2025-2028 and Resolution (Budget Impact - None)
Body
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INITIATOR: |
DEPARTMENT: |
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Cheryl Butler, Director |
Community Services |
DESCRIPTION/BACKGROUND:
On April 15, 2025, the Board approved Marion County’s 2025-2028 Local Housing Assistance Plan (LHAP), as required by Florida Statutes and the State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) Program. The plan was submitted to the Florida Housing Finance Corporation (FHFC) for review and approval.
Over the past nine (9) months, staff observed a significant decline in applications for the County’s Purchase Assistance Program. After consulting with approved lenders, it was determined that the required use of a Community Land Trust (CLT) was creating barriers that made it difficult for eligible buyers to close on homes. A CLT is a nonprofit organization that owns the land and leases it to the homeowner under a long-term agreement to help maintain affordability. While this tool can be effective, in this case it limited participation and slowed the use of available SHIP funds.
To remove these barriers and improve access to the program, the County requested technical revisions of the LHAP. Under Rule 67-37.006(3), revisions that do not significantly change a strategy are considered “technical” and do not require a full amendment review process. The FHFC reviewed and approved these changes as technical revisions on January 26, 2026. The proposed revisions are intended to increase participation, improve flexibility, and ensure timely expenditure of SHIP funds.
Technical Revisions include:
1. Purchase Assistance with or without Rehabilitation
o Remove the Community Land Trust (CLT) requirement, Page 7 (a), (e)1, 6(a)(c)(d), (f)3
o Allow co-signers, Page 8, (h)5
o Reduce Florida resident requirement from 2 years to 1, Page 8, (f)4
o Provide Purchase Assistance to families that want to reside in the city limits, Page 8, (h)1
2. Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation / Demolition-Reconstruction
o Allow referrals from the City of Ocala, Page 10, (h)1
3. New Construction - Homeownership
o Require nonprofit agencies to utilize a Community Land Trust, Page 11, (a)
o Allow for-profit agencies the option to use or not use a Community Land Trust, Page 11, (a)
Staff recommends the Board to adopt the SHIP LHAP 2025-2028 Technical Revision.
BUDGET/IMPACT:
None
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
Motion to approve Marion County SHIP LHAP 2025-2028 Technical Revision and authorize the Chairman and Clerk to execute all necessary documents.
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