$500,000 building permit fee waiver program extended

By Marvin G. Cortner
Editor

The Osceola County Commission Monday authorized the county to sign a grant agreement for $3.24 million in federal funding earmarked for two communities hard-hit by foreclosures.

The grant, being provided through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, is from the third round of funding from the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, referred to as NSP 3, and must be used in Buenaventura Lakes and Poinciana to buy approximately 30 foreclosed homes that will then be refurbished and either sold or rented out to eligible applicants.

According to program guidelines, the county can either seek proposals from nonprofits to administer the purchase-refurbish program or run the program itself.

Commission Chairman Brandon Arrington asked staff whether some portion of the grant money could be used to help homeless families get into permanent housing by providing utility deposits or first- and last-month lease deposits.

“Can we morph our program for that? Those are things that help get people into a home and a more sustainable living situation,” Arrington said.

County Manager Don Fisher said the grant is intended to address foreclosure issues in specific areas but that he and his staff would look for other permitted uses of the money.

Guidelines for the grant include: Of the $3,239,646 in funding, $809,912 must be used to house individuals or families whose incomes do not exceed 50 percent of the area median income; and the county will have 24 months to spend half the funding and then a total of 36 months to spend the remaining amount.

County officials also are deciding how to best use income that will be produced through the use of Neighborhood Stabilization Program 1 funding, earmarked for Poinciana, Buenaventura Lakes and St. Cloud.

One project funded so far – rental housing for low- and very-low income seniors – is the 51-unit St. Anthony Garden Courts (formerly Hamilton Park) now under construction in St. Cloud. This project, using $5.8 million of NSP 1 money, is a collaboration between Catholic Charities of Central Florida and Osceola County.

The county received about $8 million in NSP 1 funding and is still determining how to use remaining funds in Buenaventura Lakes and Poinciana. This program also provides down payment assistance, for example, for eligible buyers of foreclosed homes.

Funding for the Neighborhood Stabilization programs are authorized and appropriated under the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2020, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008.

Permit waiver

program extended

The commission Monday also extended the county’s building permit and plan review fee waiver program through Dec. 31, mainly because so few people participated in the program.

The commission approved the program Sept. 13 and it began Oct. 1 but to date, less than 5 percent of the $500,000 set aside for the program has been used, county officials said.

The purpose of the program is to encourage new construction; it was initially set to expire March 31 or when the $500,000 in waivers had been granted, whichever was earlier.

Also on Monday, the commission through a proclamation made April 26 Confederate History Day in the county, urging residents to learn about and understand the history of the Civil War.