Rebuild Florida Hurricane Sally Workforce Affordable Housing Construction Program

Rebuild Florida Hurricane Sally Workforce Affordable Housing Construction Program

The Florida Department of Commerce (FloridaCommerce), in partnership with the Florida Housing Finance Corporation (Florida Housing), has launched the Rebuild Florida Hurricane Sally Workforce Affordable Housing Construction Program. The program provides $25 million for the construction of new affordable workforce housing to help address housing shortages worsened by Hurricane Sally. This funding is awarded by FloridaCommerce’s Rebuild Florida program and will be administered by Florida Housing.

Through this agreement, the Rebuild Florida Hurricane Sally Workforce Affordable Housing Program will fund the creation of quality resilient affordable housing units. Florida Housing will launch a competitive application cycle, allowing housing developers and public housing authorities with experience in the development and management of rental properties to apply for funding. Local governments may partner with these entities to apply for funds.

Any proposed developments must help address the unmet recovery needs in the federally identified most impacted and distressed areas. All developments funded will be required to meet the following criteria:

• Green Building Standards

• Energy Efficiency Standards

• Accessibility and Visitability Standards

• Resiliency Standards

Eligible Areas

• Escambia County (HUD)
• Santa Rosa County (HUD)
• Okaloosa County (State)
• Walton County (State)
• Bay County (State)

Timeline

• July 12, 2023: Governor Ron DeSantis and FloridaCommerce made announcement of $25 Million in Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding to be allocated for new affordable housing construction through an agreement with the Florida Housing Finance Corporation.