Progress Village Assistance Policy
Purpose
To provide for the collection and distribution of donated funds contributed from private individuals and entities for the benefit of homeowners of the area of Hillsborough County known as Progress Village. The Board finds that this policy serves a public purpose to assist the homeowners of Progress Village to recover from the damaging storms of March 31, 2011.
Policy
It is the policy of the Board of County Commissioners that a Progress Village Assistance Program (the “Program”) be established to provide for the collection and distribution of donated funds contributed from private individuals and entities for the benefit of homeowners of the area of Hillsborough County known as Progress Village, for the specific purpose of assisting the homeowners of Progress Village to recover from the
damaging storms of March 31, 2011. The Program shall be administered pursuant to the requirements of this Policy as described below.
Definitions
- A. Progress Village: That area of Hillsborough County designated as Progress Village – Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 2-A, Unit 3-A, and Unit 3-B as more accurately described and recorded at:
- Plat Book 35 Page 32 (12 pages)
- Plat Book 36 Page 50 (10 pages)
- Plat Book 38 Page 24 (1 page)
- Plat Book 37 Page 65 (5 pages)
- Plat Book 38 Page 25 (5 pages)
- B. Eligible Properties: All single family residencies within the boundaries of Progress Village as described above, which were owner occupied and homesteaded on March 31, 2011.
- C. Eligible Homeowner: Owner occupant of an eligible property who is ineligible for assistance through the Hillsborough County Affordable Housing Services Disaster Mitigation Strategy under the State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) Program of the State of Florida. Eligible homeowners must certify that no other financial resources are available to address this need.
- D. Eligible Assistance Provided: Distribution to any one homeowner of funds received from private donations shall be limited to the amount of the deductible of the individual homeowner’s property insurance payable on claims for damage due to the storm on March 31, 2011.
- E. Private Donations: All donated funds collected or received by Hillsborough County which are contributed from private individuals and entities for the benefit of homeowners of the area of Hillsborough County known as Progress Village.
- F. Program Administrator: The Program Administrator is the Hillsborough County Affordable Housing Services Director, or his/her designee.
Progress Village Assistance Program
The Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners hereby establishes the Progress Village Assistance Program for the purpose of assisting the eligible homeowners of Progress Village to recover from the damaging storms of March 31, 2011. This Program shall be funded solely by private donations through the establishment of a temporary escrow account within the County’s financial system. Except as otherwise provided in this policy, the Clerk of the Circuit Court (the “Clerk”) is authorized to establish and account for such escrow account upon request of the Program Administrator for the purpose of paying eligible assistance to eligible homeowners as funded by such private donations. The Clerk is also authorized to issue payment(s) at the direction of the Program Administrator, without further action of the Board of County Commissioners, to the eligible homeowner as defined above. Funds distributed under this program shall be limited solely to the funds (and interest thereon) received by Hillsborough County specifically for the Progress Village Assistance Program. This Program shall cease upon the exhaustion of eligible funds or upon one year from the establishment of this program, whichever occurs first. Funds shall be distributed to eligible and approved applicants on a first-served basis established by the date the fully executed application was received by the County. If any funds remain in the escrow account at the end of the one year period, such funds shall be used to reimburse County costs incurred for post disaster recovery efforts within the Progress Village boundary area. Such costs may include but are not limited to equipment, supplies and tarpaulins.
Responsibility
It is the responsibility of the County Administrator, through the Affordable Housing Services, to implement this policy and to establish procedures for its administration. The Director (or his/her designee) of the Affordable Housing Services shall be the Program Administrator. The Program Administrator shall be responsible for collecting, depositing, accounting for, and acknowledging all private donations. The Program Administrator shall be responsible for directing the distribution of all donated funds.
Effective Date
This Policy shall take effect immediately upon approval by the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners and shall sunset twelve months from the date of approval.