Grants and financing
SHIP home repair help for septic and sewer
SHIP is Florida state housing money that each county and larger city in the Indian River Lagoon area spends on home repairs for owners with low to moderate income. Several local plans name septic or sewer work, often as a 0% deferred loan that is forgiven if you stay in the home. Apply to your county or city housing office.
How SHIP works
SHIP is state money that each county and larger city spends under its own housing plan. State law requires most of it to go to building, repairing and rehabilitating homes, with set shares for very low and low income households (s. 420.9075, F.S.). The law does not mention septic; the local plan decides. Help usually comes as a 0% deferred loan that is forgiven if you keep living in the home for 5 to 15 years.
Typical rules: you own and live in the home as your homestead, household income is at or below 80% of the area median (some programs go to 120%), property taxes are current, and the home's value is under a cap.
Local offices in the lagoon counties
| Office | Septic or sewer named in the plan? | Most you can get | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian River County | Yes: emergency repair covers "septic tank problems"; a separate strategy covers impact fees and water and sewer capacity charges | Emergency repair $35,000; impact fee and capacity charge $20,000; rehab $100,000 | Community Services, 1801 27th Street, Vero Beach; (772) 567-8000. Applications taken all year |
| Volusia County (not Daytona Beach or Deltona) | Yes: emergency repair lists septic and "septic or water hook-up" | $20,000 | Community Assistance, (386) 736-5955, [email protected] |
| City of Port St. Lucie | Yes: a water and sewer connection grant | $10,000 connection grant; repairs up to $53,500 | Neighborhood Services, (772) 344-4084, [email protected] |
| City of Palm Bay | Reported: up to $20,000 to connect to water or sewer and abandon a septic system | $20,000 (not confirmed) | City housing programs; we could not open the city's page, so call to confirm |
| St. Lucie County | Reported: rehab includes septic repair or replacement and a septic-to-sewer category | Not confirmed | County housing rehabilitation assistance; call to confirm |
| Brevard County | Not confirmed for septic | Rehab reported up to $75,000 (not confirmed) | Housing and Human Services, (321) 633-2007 |
| City of Titusville | Not named; general repairs | Rehab up to $80,000 | Neighborhood Services, (321) 567-3987. Every applicant goes on a waiting list |
| City of Melbourne | Not named; general repairs | Rehab up to $95,000 | Housing and Urban Improvement, (321) 608-7530 |
| City of Fort Pierce | Not named; plumbing in emergency repair | Emergency repair $10,000; rehab $100,000 | City of Fort Pierce housing |
Amounts are the maximums in each plan as of the date above. They change with each year's state funding, and most offices run out or keep a waiting list. Port St. Lucie's 2026 repair round took only the first 100 pre-applications. Most of Port St. Lucie sits outside the 2030 program area, but the help is real for its residents.
Does this apply to your home?
The free address check answers in about ten seconds: inside the program area or not, septic or sewer on record, lot size and, in Brevard, a grant estimate.
Will SHIP pay for my upgrade?
- Your septic system is failing: strong fit for emergency repair or rehab in most plans.
- You have a sewer connection notice: a strong fit in Indian River County, Volusia County, Port St. Lucie and, if confirmed, Palm Bay.
- Your system works and you are upgrading only for 2030: weaker fit. Ask the office directly; plans written before the 2030 rule may not cover it.
How to apply
- Call the office for your city if it has its own program (Titusville, Melbourne, Palm Bay, Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie); otherwise the county office.
- Ask: "Does your SHIP plan cover a septic upgrade or a sewer connection, is it open, and is there a waiting list?"
- Gather income papers for everyone in the home, your deed and homestead record, and a recent tax bill. Our how to apply checklist lists them.
- Do not sign a contract or start work until the office approves you. Most offices pick or approve the contractor.
Next steps
SHIP can stack with a county septic grant in some cases. See every program on the septic grants and financing hub. If you want a licensed installer to quote the job so you have a number for the housing office, get quotes and help applying.
Your address, your answer
Find out what the 2030 rule means for your home
Type your address to see if it is inside the program area, whether state records show septic or sewer, your lot size and, in Brevard, an estimate of the county grant. Free, about ten seconds.
Questions people ask
What is SHIP?
The State Housing Initiatives Partnership. The state sends housing money to each county and larger city, and each one writes its own plan (a Local Housing Assistance Plan) saying what it pays for, how much, and who qualifies. The money usually comes as a 0% deferred loan that is forgiven if you keep living in the home for a set number of years.
Does SHIP pay for a septic upgrade?
It depends on the local plan. Indian River County's emergency repair covers septic tank problems, Volusia County's lists septic and septic or water hook-ups, and Port St. Lucie has a sewer connection grant. Other plans cover health and safety repairs in general. A failing septic system usually fits; an upgrade only for the 2030 rule may not. Call your local office.
Who qualifies for SHIP?
Owners who live in the home with household income up to 80% of the area median, and in some programs up to 120%. Most also require the home to be your homestead, a cap on the home's value, and current property taxes.
Can SHIP pay for work that is already done?
Usually not. Most offices pick or approve the contractor and pay after their own inspection. Apply before you sign a contract.
Sources
The laws, agency documents and reports this page relies on. Rules and grant amounts change; confirm with your county before you sign anything.
- Section 420.9075, Florida Statutes: local housing assistance plans, Florida Legislature
- State Housing Initiative Partnership program and LHAP 2024 to 2027, Indian River County
- SHIP frequently asked questions, Indian River County
- Emergency repair program overview (November 2024), Volusia County
- SHIP Local Housing Assistance Plan 2025-26 to 2027-28, City of Port St. Lucie
- Port St. Lucie opens home repair assistance program with $1.7 million in state funding, WQCS
- Availability of funds, SHIP program 2025-26, City of Titusville
- Housing and Urban Improvement, City of Melbourne
- Local Housing Assistance Plan 2024 to 2027, City of Fort Pierce
- Housing programs, City of Palm Bay
- Replace, rehab and repair program, Brevard County Housing and Human Services
- Housing rehabilitation assistance, St. Lucie County
Related
Septic grants and financing for the Indian River Lagoon 2030 rule
Every septic grant, sewer connection grant, loan and payment plan for homeowners in Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie and Volusia, with amounts, status and a quiz.
USDA Section 504 home repair loans and grants for septic
USDA Section 504 pays for septic and sewer repairs for low-income rural owners: 1% loans up to $40,000 and grants up to $10,000 at 62+. Which lagoon areas qualify.
How to apply for a septic grant, step by step
How to apply for a septic upgrade or sewer connection grant near the Indian River Lagoon: the steps in order, a documents checklist, and mistakes that lose a grant.