Manatee County Opens Applications for $550,000 Housing Repair Program Serving Special Needs Households
Applications now open for eligible home repairs, accessibility upgrades, and replacement assistance.
Manatee County opened applications today for more than $550,000 in housing rehabilitation and replacement assistance for eligible low- and very low-income special needs households.
“For many residents, a needed repair or accessibility improvement is not a luxury,” said Geroge Kruse, Manatee County commissioner at large. “This program helps remove some of those barriers and gives families the opportunity to improve their living conditions in a meaningful, lasting way allowing them to stay safely in the home they already have.”
The funding, available through the County’s SHIP Housing Rehabilitation/Replacement Program, will help qualifying homeowners complete critical repairs, accessibility upgrades, and other improvements that allow them to remain safely and independently in their homes.
Eligible households must be in unincorporated Manatee County or the City of Palmetto and meet program income and property value requirements. To qualify as a special needs household, at least one member of the home must have a developmental disability, disabling condition, or receive SSD/SSDI or other disability benefits.
The program provides 0% interest-deferred payment 20-year loans for code-related repairs to single-family homes and, in some cases, the replacement of dilapidated single-family housing structures. Funding may also support home modifications, adaptive devices, and other improvements that enhance accessibility, safety, and overall livability.
“These improvements can directly affect someone’s daily quality of life,” said Michael Strollo, Manatee County Community and Veterans Services communications coordinator. “Whether it’s addressing a serious repair or making a home more accessible, this program is designed to help households remain safer, more stable, and better supported.”
Entry forms are now available on Manatee County’s Rehabilitation/ Replacement Program webpage. Residents who need help completing or submitting an online entry form can call (941) 749-3029.
Applications will be accepted through April 29, 2026, and county staff will conduct a lottery-style drawing on May 1, 2026, to determine the order in which applications will be reviewed. Funding will be awarded to eligible households who meet all requirements until all available funds have been committed.
For more information, including eligibility requirements, visit www.mymanatee.org.
For more information on Manatee County Government, visit mymanatee.org or contact Manatee County Government Communications at news@mymanatee.org or call (941) 745-6397 (NEWS). Follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @ManateeGov.