About HERO

What is HERO?

 

The Housing Enhancement and Redevelopment Office (HERO) is Sarasota County’s dedicated office for administering local, state, and federal funding that supports community development, affordable housing, neighborhood revitalization, and homelessness prevention.

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HERO oversees several key housing and community development programs, including the federally funded Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), and HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), as well as the state-funded Florida State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) program. Together, these programs provide funding for affordable housing development and preservation, homeownership assistance, housing rehabilitation, public services, and initiatives that prevent and reduce homelessness.

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Established in October 2023, HERO was formed following the transition of Sarasota County’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), and HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) from the City of Sarasota’s Office of Housing and Community Development.

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These federal programs, along with the state-funded SHIP program and other housing and community development initiatives, are now managed directly by Sarasota County through HERO, an office within the Office of Financial Management’s Program Management Division.