$500,000 designated for 25 affordable rental housing units in North Sarasota
Fresh off being named “Non-Profit of the Year” during the recent Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce Small Business Awards, Harvest House “has even more to celebrate,” it has announced: The Gulf Coast Community Foundation (Gulf Coast) “and a group of generous donors are providing a $500,000 matching challenge” for Lakeview Village.
The construction project “will develop 25 units of affordable rental housing in North Sarasota,” Harvest House leaders note in a news release.
The development will stand adjacent to Lake Park and Emma E. Booker Elementary School, the release explains. Every “donation made toward the Lakeview Village campaign will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $500,000,” the release points out.
Among the donors are “the Elsa and Peter Soderberg Charitable Foundation, Bob and Lin Williams, and Kathy and Travis Brown,” the release adds.
The affordable housing project will serve households earning 60% to 80% of the area median income, “with priority given to educators, social workers and vulnerable seniors,” the release adds. “The facility will include one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments,” it says.
“The development is being led by Harvest House in partnership with One Stop Housing,” the release continues. It is being funded in part by the Sarasota County Resilient SRQ Program, which makes use of Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery money given to the county by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to help it deal with unmet needs following the 2022 and 2024 hurricane seasons. “The goal [of the project] is to provide long-term housing stability, strengthen the local workforce, and contribute to neighborhood revitalization through high-quality, energy-efficient homes,” the release points out.
“This matching opportunity allows community contributions to have twice the impact while helping us to close the remaining funding gap and bring more safe, stable and affordable housing to Sarasota families,” said Harvest House president and CEO Dan Minor in the release. “We are grateful to Gulf Coast Community Foundation for providing this challenge match, to inspire giving throughout the community,” Minor continued. “Once Lakeview Village is completed, not only will the available housing strengthen families and the community, it will also create a revenue stream for our organization, to bolster our supportive/affordable housing, addiction recovery programs, and food security efforts.”
“Lakeview Village is housing that funds housing: attainable homes for Sarasota’s workforce today, and a lasting revenue source that allows Harvest House to keep housing our neighbors for years to come,” said Phillip Lanham, Gulf Coast president and CEO, in the release. “That kind of dual impact is exactly why Gulf Coast is proud to match this campaign, and we hope our community will join us before Oct. 31.”
Among other funding for the project is a $1-million gift from the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation, the release adds.
As of late July, the release continues, $153,500 had been raised toward the match, which will generate $307,000 for Lakeview Village. Of the $5.6-million project goal, $3.5 million already has been awarded, the release notes. The Challenge Match is expected to add $1 million, leaving Harvest House with $1.1 million it needs to raise, the release says.
Community members are encouraged to donate toward the Lakeview Village Challenge Match; visit qrco.de/lakeviewvillage. Gifts of every amount will be appreciated — and will make a difference,” the release points out.
For more about Harvest House, visit harvesthousecenters.org.