Lee Commissioners vote to award state grants to partners for affordable housing

11/04/2025

The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted to award about $4.4 million in State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) grant agreements to local partners for affordable housing.

The grants will provide assistance to 45 very low and 29 low-income households including 41 households that include individuals with special needs.

The SHIP program is solely funded by the state and is locally governed by the strategies in the Local Housing Assistance Plan (LHAP) adopted by the Board on March 21, 2023. The program places a priority on serving very low, low, and special needs households and requires 65% of the funds be spent on homeownership activities.

The grants were awarded to:

Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry Counties Inc.

  • $1,130,000 −Down payment assistance for 16 households, including five with very low income, 11 households with low income and at least four households that include people with special needs.

Rebuilding Together Greater Florida

  • $130,000 − New construction for two low-income households.
  • $1,043,000 − Owner-occupied housing rehabilitation for 17 households, including seven households with seven very low income, 10 households with low income and at least five households that include individuals with special needs.

Lee County Housing Development Corporation

  • $1,000,000− Down payment assistance for 12 households, including six households with very low income, six households with low income and at least five households that include people with special needs.

SalusCare Inc.

  • $434,302 − Rental housing rehabilitation at 3660 Evans Ave. for 10 households with very low income with people with special needs.
  • $70,000 − Rental housing rehabilitation at 4120 Evans Ave. for 10 households with very low income with people with special needs.

St. Mark Coptic Church

  • $595,000 − Rental new construction for seven very low-income individuals with developmental disabilities.

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

For a video with more information about housing funded through the SHIP program, go here.