Proposed workforce housing for Sarasota County Sheriff's Office employees
SARASOTA, Fla. - At the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Kurt Hoffman ran into a problem he needed help with.
"I enjoy coming to work and solving problems. This is just one I could not conquer alone," he told FOX 13.
It’s a problem seen across Florida. Rising rents and home prices are forcing some employees out. Sheriff Hoffman tried to help one deputy whose rent went up to $900 dollars.
"We had a guy here who was a member of the swat team. We invested a lot of time and training in him, and he actually was very remorseful that he had to pick up his family and move back to Texas," said Sheriff Hoffman.
The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office employs more than 1,000 people. Not just deputies, but civilians like dispatchers, animal service technicians and corrections employees.
As Sheriff Hoffman worked on figuring out how to keep his employees from moving away, Mark Vengroff with One Stop Housing received a big offer from local relator Michael Saunders.
"She approached me and said I have this piece of land. I have been so fortunate, and I want to give back to this community that has been so kind to me," said Vengroff.
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Through the Argus Foundation, Sheriff Hoffman was introduced to One Stop Housing and a plan was formed.
"It just seemed like it was made in heaven, and we said, you know what, let’s designate half of the units for the officer or the staff," said Vengroff.
A piece of land at 295 School Avenue could soon be transformed into 48 units made up of studio and one or two-bedroom apartments.
All will be well below market level and all for workforce housing, with half reserved for Sarasota County Sheriff’s office employees.
"The fact that our communications operators, our booking officials in the jail will be very close to the jail. It’s very exciting," said Sheriff Hoffman.
While it’s not a permanent solution, Sheriff Hoffman said it’s a start.
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"It is not the silver bullet. There is a lot of different approaches to take to tackle this problem and this is one that will probably have a significant impact," he said.
The building plans will still need to be approved by the Sarasota City Commission. If all goes well, construction could start by the fall.
The complex could open by the end of 2025.
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