Hillsborough County is holding a series of community meetings throughout the county over the next few weeks to help residents apply for assistance to repair their homes under Affordable Housing Services’ Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation Program.
The first five of the eight community meetings were held in April, and the remaining three will be held in May. Hillsborough County Affordable Housing Services staff will be at each of the meetings to help residents complete and submit their application.
The Hillsborough County Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation Program is designed to ensure low, very low and moderate-income Hillsborough County families have the opportunity to live in safe, decent and sanitary homes. This is not a home remodeling program but rather a program aimed at assisting the community with immediate needs for rehabilitation due to the condition of the home. The countywide initiative utilizes the State Housing Initiative Partnership (SHIP) program to rehabilitate the homes of residents who live in unincorporated Hillsborough County, Plant City and Temple Terrace. The City of Tampa has its own rehabilitation program.
The program provides financial assistance to homeowners who cannot afford to bring their homes into compliance with the Florida Building Code or make other necessary repairs affecting life, health, safety and accessibility. There are income restrictions, and the program focuses on single-family homes that have been homesteaded as a primary residence for at least two years.
Application forms will be available at all the meetings and are also available online at https://hcfl.gov/oor. Residents who cannot attend the meetings and do not have access to a computer can call 813-635-1810 to have an application mailed to them. The meetings will be held on the following dates and times:
- Friday, May 1, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., at Town ‘N Country Library Community Room, located at 7606 Paula Dr. in Tampa.
- Thursday, May 14, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., at Gardenville Recreation Center, located at 6219 Symmes Rd. in Gibsonton.
- Wednesday, May 20: 10 a.m.-2 p.m., at Balm Park and Community Center, located at 14747 Balm Wimauma Rd. in Wimauma.
Eligible funding may be used for:
- Roof repair or replacement.
- Failure of electrical, plumbing or HVAC systems.
- Failure of structural systems, such as floors and structural walls.
- Exterior/interior deterioration (walls, foundation, porches, siding, etc.).
- Water heater replacement.
- Accessibility improvement (ramp, widening doorways, countertops, bathroom and kitchen modifications, etc.).
- Lead-based paint remediation or other environmental issues.
- Weatherization activities (doors, windows, air-conditioning, roofs, insulation and energy-efficient appliances).
Demolition-reconstruction may be offered for homes whose repairs exceed 50 percent of the appraised value according to the property appraiser valuation.
For more information, email affordablehousingservices@hcfl.gov or call 813-635-1610.