§ 38-203. Eligible activities and projects.

(1)

Activities and projects eligible for the Housing and Community Development Fund Program shall further the goals, objectives and policies of the Sarasota County Comprehensive Plan and encourage and provide for community and economic development and may include:

(a)

Acquiring real property.

(b)

Acquiring developed property.

(c)

Project planning and pre-development, including professional services of architects, engineers, planners, realtors and lawyers, as well as filing fees, expenses, and financial analysis.

(d)

Supplementing local housing assistance programs or Florida Housing Finance Corporation programs.

(e)

Funding local match to obtain federal housing grants or programs.

(f)

Funding repairs under weatherization or rehabilitation programs to extremely low, very low, and low income owners.

(g)

Assisting with the purchase of manufactured home parks, or assisting in the purchase of a land share in a resident-owned mobile home park.

(h)

Constructing dwelling units that meet the definition of affordable housing as defined in the Sarasota County Comprehensive Plan.

(i)

Funding of economic development incentive grants.

(j)

Construction of community infrastructure such as roadways. utilities, or stormwater facilities, to encourage economic development or to serve low or moderate income areas.

(k)

Funding or construction of emergency shelters, transitional housing, permanent supportive housing and appropriate supportive services for people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

(l)

Veterans services and assistance including, but not limited to, housing and transportation.

(2)

For purposes of this section, the following expenditures are considered to be construction or rehabilitation costs:

(a)

Hard costs which are typically or customarily treated as construction costs by institutional lenders.

(b)

Impact fees.

(c)

Infrastructure expenses typically paid by the developer.

(d)

Construction soft costs such as engineering studies and appraisals, if directly related to housing construction or rehabilitation.

(e)

Relocation costs associated with rehabilitation of the residence usually occupied by a tenant or homeowner.

(f)

Financing, or "buy-down" costs. If directly attributable to assisting eligible persons to own a home or obtain rental occupancy.

(3)

Program funds shall not be used as security or a pledge for debt service.

(4)

When provided for housing. Housing and Community Development Funds must directly benefit households meeting the definition of Affordable Housing in the Comprehensive Plan. This provision shall not be construed to prohibit use of Housing and Community Development Funds for a mixed-income or mixed-use development if, and to the extent that, Housing and Community Development Funds are used specifically to fund the eligible housing portion of the development.

(Ord. No. 2007-016, § 2, 1-10-2007; Ord. No. 2014-002, § 1, 1-28-2014)