Highlands County SHIP Program – Emergency Repair

How it works

Highlands County says its Emergency Repair strategy is for applicants whose homes have a dire situation that needs to be mitigated immediately. It is also used when a homeowner has applied for owner-occupied rehabilitation but will not receive help within the next three months. If emergency repairs are made, the applicant does not lose their place on the rehabilitation waiting list.

What the money covers

The county says emergency repair funds may be used for:

• damaged windows causing exposure to the elements
• air conditioning
• septic problems
• electrical problems
• plumbing problems that could damage the home, including fire risk
• immediate health hazards to occupants
• insurance deductibles for emergency repairs covered by the homeowner’s policy

Amounts and repayment

The page states that SHIP assistance for emergency repair is provided as a loan at 0% interest, secured by a recorded mortgage and promissory note. No dollar cap is stated on the page.

How it works with rehabilitation

If a homeowner later receives owner-occupied rehabilitation assistance, the amount spent on emergency repairs counts toward the maximum award for rehabilitation.

How to apply

The page directs applicants to the Emergency Repair Application and says assistance is based on the county’s SHIP process.

Timing and deadlines

The county page says Highlands County is not accepting applications for the program at the time the page was crawled, and that notices will be posted if anything changes.