State of the County: Money for homebuying, rent

Providing Help Building Houses, Paying Bills

BY ALEX AUBUCHON

Our community has faced a host of challenges recently, from the COVID-19 pandemic and associated economic hardships to an ongoing lack of affordable housing.

Marion County is working closely with nonprofit agencies to ensure our hardest-hit residents get the help they need to thrive and to help families realize the dream of home ownership.

EMERGENCY RENT AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE We are continuing to partner with the United Way of Marion County to provide emergency rent and utility assistance thanks to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (2020) funding.

These funds are for families in Marion County that require direct assistance with rent and utility bills as a result of COVID-19 and it related economic effects.

As of Aug. 3, the United Way has approved and funded applications for 886 Marion County households, distributing a total of $4,513,566 in assistance into our community.

An additional 191 applicants have been approved, and the United Way is currently processing payments for about another $1 million in assistance. The average amount of assistance received per household is $5,023.

Another 1,290 registrants have an application in progress. The United Way receives an average of 20 new registrations each day. United Way staff are also receiving about 200 calls a day from applicants inquiring about the process or checking on the status on their application.

We expect the United Way to fully expend the $9,736,318 in CARES Act fund-

ing allocated by Marion County for emergency rent and utility assistance.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING Marion County recognizes the significant lack in available housing – particularly affordable housing – in our community.

To bridge this gap, we have partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Marion County and the Housing Finance Authority of Marion County to construct new, affordable three-bedroom/two-bath homes for applicants whose income meets eligibility requirements.

Recently, we built seven single-family homes in the Silver Springs Shores area. They sell for $120,000, and the Florida State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) is assisting with $20,000 in down payment and closing costs for qualifying applicants.

For more information, visit our website at MarionFL.org/CommunityService and click Homebuyer Assistance.

Alex AuBuchon is a public information officer for the Marion County government.