The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted to award 2021/2022 State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) grant agreements totaling $2.96 million to local partners for affordable housing.

The grants to nonprofit housing development organizations are for new construction and rehabilitation of rental housing units. The grants will provide assistance to 52 very low-income and 17 low-income households, including 52 households with special needs.

The nonprofits and grants include:

Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry Counties, Inc.

• $764,580 – Construction of 18 single family houses for two very low and 16 low income households with at least five houses for households with special needs.

Lee County Human and Veteran Services

• $400,000 – Down payment/closing cost assistance for six very low-income households with priority for households with special needs.

Lee County Housing Development Corp.

• $365,000 – Construction of six single-family houses for five very low-income and one low-income households with at least five households with special needs.
• $325,000 – Rehabilitation of five owner occupied houses for very low income households with at least two households with special needs.
• $65,000 – Down payment/closing cost assistance with homeowner rehab for one very low-income household with special needs.

Center for Independent Living Gulf Coast

• $145,000 – Rehabilitation of five owner-occupied houses for very low-income households with special needs.

LARC, Inc.

• $205,970 – Rental rehabilitation of a group home for six very low-income, developmentally disabled individuals.

Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida

• $345,556 – Rental rehabilitation of 14 units at Country Cove for very low income, developmentally disabled households.
• $345,550 – Rental rehabilitation of 14 units at The Pines for very low income, developmentally disabled households.

Grant funds must be spent by Dec. 30, 2023.

Lee County has received funds from the SHIP program since 1999 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.