City of Tamarac community development staff previewed updates to the Local Housing Assistance Plan (LHAP) funded through the State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) program, including changes to eligibility limits and program design intended to reflect current market conditions.

Mohammad Sur, assistant director of community development, said the prior LHAP (adopted 2022, amended 2023) expires in June 2025 and that the proposed plan continues similar strategies with updates: purchase assistance (with or without rehabilitation), owner-occupied rehabilitation, emergency and disaster repair, mitigation tied to gubernatorial declaration, and rental assistance/rapid rehousing.

Notable changes staff proposed include increasing the maximum purchase price from $382,000 to $450,000 to reflect market conditions; adjusting the asset cap from a flat $25,000 to a tiered range of $25,000–$100,000 and requiring applicants to contribute one-third of any amount above $25,000; and retaining ineligibility for applicants with assets over $100,000. Staff said the FY25–26 SHIP allocation is estimated at about $816,000 and that funds will be provided as first-subordinate loans with a 15-year recapture period.

Sur said the SHIP review committee conditionally approved the draft LHAP on March 5, 2025, and that the plan requires commission adoption following a public hearing before submission to the Florida Housing Finance Corporation. Staff recommended the plan as consistent with the city’s strategic plan goal to promote housing stability.

No commission action occurred at the workshop; staff said the item will appear on the commission agenda for public hearing and action as required by statute.