The deadline to apply for funding commitments for tornado assistance from the State Housing Initiatives Partnership Program in Escambia County is Monday, Dec. 19. If you were impacted by the storm and still need repairs or replacement housing, time is running out to apply for SHIP assistance.
After the Feb. 15 tornado, many Century and Ferry Pass homes were severely damaged or totally destroyed. To provide relief to tornado survivors, the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners entered into an agreement with Northwest Florida Community Housing Development Corporation Inc. to provide up to $50,000 in SHIP disaster funding per property to help fund replacement housing for eligible homeowners.
NFCHDC has recently broken ground on the first of several replacement homes for low income survivors of the Feb. 15 tornado that hit Century. So far nine clients from that storm have been approved by the county under the SHIP program to work with NFCHDC. Three of the SHIP sites have been cleared and are ready for construction.
Additionally, NFCHDC has partnered with the Escambia County Housing Finance Authority to provide replacement housing for tornado survivors who could not qualify under the SHIP program. Two clients have been approved for housing to date.
This project is a significant collaboration between Escambia County, the town of Century, Legal Services of North Florida, the Escambia County Housing Finance Authority, the Be Ready Alliance Coordinating for Emergencies, NFCHDC, World Renew, United Way, Pensacola Habitat for Humanity and many other volunteer organizations. These agencies have collectively provided financing, facilitated applicant intake, served as the case managers, worked on legal issues to help owners gain a clear title and now are providing construction oversight and labor.
To apply for SHIP funding you must:
- Be the owner occupant of the property
- Meet income eligibility guidelines
- Have property that was impacted by the February 2016 tornadoes
For more information or to apply for the program, please contact the Escambia County Neighborhood Enterprise Division at 850-595-3011.