Media Release

The City of Gainesville and Alachua County have been awarded State Housing Initiatives Program (SHIP) funds from the State of Florida Fiscal Year 2004-2005. Collectively, the City and County will contribute $200,000 to support the Special Needs Housing program.

These funds are available through awards made to ELIGIBLE SPONSORS (SPONSOR organizations must be a quasi-government agency or a non-profit entity with current 501 (c) (3) tax exempt status) who submit applications for the construction and rehabilitation of temporary, transitional or long term housing addressing the housing needs of low and very-low income persons in one or more of the following special needs group:

Such persons or groups may include, but are not limited to, persons with developmental disabilities; persons with mental illness or chemical dependency; persons with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (‘AIDS”) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (“HIV”) disease; runaway and abandoned youth; the homeless; the elderly; and disabled adults.

Applications for the Special Needs Housing Program may be obtained after February 10, 2006 at the Alachua County Department of Growth Management, 10 SW 2nd Ave., 3rd Floor, Gainesville, FL 32601-6294.

Completed applications will be accepted between February 13, 2006 and March 1, 2006. Applications must be submitted by hand delivery to the Alachua County Department of Growth Management located at the above address. Applications must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. March 1, 2006.

For more information, contact Ashon Nesbitt, Assistant Housing Programs Manager, Alachua County Department of Growth Management at (352) 374-5249.