Program offers financial assistance for low-income homeowners to help bring homes into compliance or make other necessary repairs
Hillsborough County, Fla. (Nov. 3, 2025) - Hillsborough County will hold several community meetings to help residents applying for assistance to repair their homes under Affordable Housing Services' Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation Program.
The Hillsborough County Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation Program is designed to ensure low, very low, and moderate income Hillsborough County families have the opportunity to live in safe, decent, and sanitary homes. The countywide initiative utilizes State Housing Initiative Partnership (SHIP) funding to rehabilitate the homes of residents who live in unincorporated Hillsborough County, Plant City, and Temple Terrace.
The program provides financial assistance to homeowners who cannot afford to bring their homes into compliance with the Florida Building Code or make other necessary repairs affecting life, health, safety, and accessibility. There are income restrictions, and the program focuses on single-family homes that have been homesteaded as a primary residence for at least two years.
Eligible funding may be used for:
- Roof repair or replacement
- Failure of electrical, plumbing, or HVAC systems
- Failure of structural systems such as floors and structural walls
- Exterior/interior deterioration (walls, foundation, porches, siding, etc.)
- Water heater replacement
- Accessibility improvement (ramp, widening doorways, countertops, bathroom and kitchen modifications, etc.)
- Lead-based paint remediation or other environmental issues
- Weatherization activities (doors, windows, air conditioning, roofs, insulation, and energy- efficient appliances)
- Demolition-reconstruction may be offered for homes whose repairs exceed 50% of the appraised value according to the property appraiser valuation.
Hillsborough County Affordable Housing Services will hold five community meetings over the next several weeks. Residents are encouraged to bring their completed applications and supporting documents to the meetings. Staff will be on site to help identify any missing documents or accept applications as complete and place the applicants on the waiting list. Application forms are available online. Applications will be accepted from Nov. 3, 2025, to Feb. 2, 2026.
The meetings will be held at the following locations:
- Nov. 13, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., C. Blythe Andrews Jr. Public Library, 2607 E. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Tampa, FL 33610
- Nov. 14, 1 to 5 p.m., C. Blythe Andrews Jr. Public Library, 2607 E. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Tampa, FL 33610
- Nov. 24, 1 to 5 p.m., Maureen B. Gauzza Public Library, 11211 Countryway Blvd., Tampa, FL 33626
- Dec. 3, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Jan Kaminis Platt Regional Library, 3910 S. Manhattan Ave., Tampa, FL 33611
- Dec. 8, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Emanuel P. Johnson Recreation Center, 5855 S. 78th St., Tampa, FL 33619
- Dec. 11, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sayde Gibbs Martin Community Center, 302 S. Maryland Ave., Plant City, FL 33563