Title XXX, Social Welfare

To the extent that provisions of this part are not inconsistent with contract provisions under the Rural Land Acquisition and Site Development Act, the Farmworker Housing Assistance Act, and the Community-Based Organization Loan Program, the provisions of this part shall apply to…

(1) The corporation shall operate the Affordable Housing Catalyst Program for the purpose of securing the expertise necessary to provide specialized technical support to local governments and community-based organizations to implement the HOME Investment Partnership Program, Stat…

The Florida Housing Finance Corporation is authorized to provide funds to eligible entities for affordable housing recovery in those areas of the state which sustained housing damage due to hurricanes during 2004 and 2005. The Florida Housing Finance Corporation shall utilize dat…

Sections 420.601-420.609 may be cited as the “Affordable Housing Planning and Community Assistance Act.”History.—s. 2, ch. 86-192; s. 27, ch. 92-317.

In addition to the findings and declarations in ss. 420.0002, 420.502, 421.02, 422.02, and 423.01, which are hereby reaffirmed, the Legislature finds that:(1) Decent, safe, and sanitary housing for persons of very low income, low income, and moderate income are a critical need in…

As used in this part, the following terms shall have the following meanings, unless the context otherwise requires:(1) “Adjusted for family size” means adjusted in a manner which results in an income eligibility level which is lower for households with fewer than four people, or …

(1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS.—In addition to the legislative findings set forth in s. 420.6015, the Legislature finds and declares that:(a) Housing in economically declining or distressed areas is frequently substandard and is often unaffordable or unavailable to homeless persons, ve…

(1) The research and planning functions of the department shall include the collection of data on the need for affordable housing in this state and the extent to which that need is being met through federal, state, and local programs, in order to facilitate planning to meet the h…

Because the Legislature firmly supports affordable housing in Florida for all economic classes:(1) There is created the Affordable Housing Study Commission, which shall be composed of 21 members to be appointed by the Governor:(a) One citizen actively engaged in the residential h…

(1) A local government may provide density bonus incentives pursuant to this section to any landowner who voluntarily donates fee simple interest in real property to the local government for the purpose of assisting the local government in providing affordable housing, including …

As used in ss. 420.621-420.628, the term:(1) “Continuum of care” means a group organized to carry out the responsibilities imposed under ss. 420.621-420.628 to coordinate, plan, and pursue ending homelessness in a designated catchment area. Such a group shall be composed of repre…

(1) The State Office on Homelessness is created within the Department of Children and Families to provide interagency, council, and other related coordination on issues relating to homelessness.(2) The Council on Homelessness is created to consist of 19 representatives of public …

(1) The purpose of a continuum of care, as defined in s. 420.621, is to coordinate community efforts to prevent and end homelessness in its catchment area designated as provided in subsection (3) and to fulfill the responsibilities set forth in this chapter.(2) Under the federal …

(1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS.—The Legislature finds and declares that many services for households experiencing homelessness have been provided by local communities through voluntary private agencies and religious organizations and that those resources have not been sufficient to pre…

(1) As used in this section, the term:(a) “Individual identifying information” means information that directly or indirectly identifies a specific person, can be manipulated to identify a specific person, or can be linked with other available information to identify a specific pe…

(1) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.—The Legislature finds that the ability to provide adequate homeless services is limited due to a shortage of professionals and paraprofessionals in the field. Persons with lived experience of homelessness are uniquely qualified to provide effective support…

(1) It is the intent of the Legislature, to encourage mental health facilities or institutions under contract with, operated, licensed, or regulated by the state and local governments to ensure that persons leaving their care or custody are not discharged into homelessness.(2) Th…

(1) The Rapid ReHousing response to homelessness differs from traditional approaches to addressing homelessness by focusing on each individual’s or family’s barriers to housing. By using this approach, communities can significantly reduce the amount of time that individuals and f…

(1) The Housing First approach to homelessness provides permanent housing assistance, followed by support services responsive to individual or family needs once housing is obtained. By using this approach, communities can significantly reduce the amount of time that individuals a…

(1)(a) The Legislature finds that there are many young adults who, through no fault of their own, live in foster families, group homes, and institutions, and face numerous barriers to a successful transition to adulthood. Young adults who are leaving the child welfare system may …

Sections 420.630-420.635 may be cited as the “Urban Homesteading Act.”History.—s. 23, ch. 99-378.

As used in ss. 420.630-420.635:(1) “Authority” or “housing authority” means any of the public corporations created under s. 421.04.(2) “Homestead agreement” means a written contract between a local government or its designee and a qualified buyer which contains the terms under wh…

By resolution, subject to federal and state law, and in consultation with the Office of Urban Opportunity, a local government or its designee may operate a program that makes foreclosed single-family housing properties available to qualified buyers to purchase. This urban homeste…

An applicant is eligible to enter into a homestead agreement to acquire single-family housing property as a qualified buyer under ss. 420.630-420.635 if:(1) The applicant or his or her spouse is employed and has been employed for the immediately preceding 12 months;(2) The applic…

(1) A qualified buyer may apply to a local government or its designee to acquire single-family housing property. The application must be in a form and in a manner provided by the local government or its designee. If the application is approved, the qualified buyer and the local g…

Contingent upon an appropriation, the Department of Commerce, in consultation with the Office of Urban Opportunity, shall provide loans to qualified buyers who are required to pay the pro rata portion of the bonded debt on single-family housing pursuant to s. 420.634. Loans provi…

Sections 420.907-420.9079 may be cited as the “State Housing Initiatives Partnership Act.”History.—s. 32, ch. 92-317.

As used in ss. 420.907-420.9079, the term:(1) “Adjusted for family size” means adjusted in a manner that results in an income eligibility level that is lower for households having fewer than four people, or higher for households having more than four people, than the base income …

The State Housing Initiatives Partnership Program is created for the purpose of providing funds to counties and eligible municipalities as an incentive for the creation of local housing partnerships, to expand production of and preserve affordable housing, to further the housing …

(1) Distributions calculated in this section shall be disbursed on a quarterly or more frequent basis by the corporation pursuant to s. 420.9072, subject to availability of funds. Each county’s share of the funds to be distributed from the portion of the funds in the Local Govern…

(1)(a) Each county or eligible municipality participating in the State Housing Initiatives Partnership Program shall develop and implement a local housing assistance plan created to make affordable residential units available to persons of very low income, low income, or moderate…

(1) Each county or eligible municipality participating in the State Housing Initiatives Partnership Program, including a municipality receiving program funds through the county, or an eligible municipality must, within 12 months after the original adoption of the local housing as…

(1) There is created in the State Treasury the Local Government Housing Trust Fund, which shall be administered by the corporation on behalf of the department according to the provisions of ss. 420.907-420.9076 and this section. There shall be deposited into the fund a portion of…

The Legislature finds that more funding for housing to assist individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness is needed and encourages the state entity designated to administer funds made available to the state from the National Housi…

The role of state government required by part I of chapter 421 (Housing Authorities Law), chapter 422 (Housing Cooperation Law), and chapter 423 (Tax Exemption of Housing Authorities) is the responsibility of the Department of Commerce; and the department is the agency of state g…

Part I of this chapter may be referred to as the “Housing Authorities Law.”History.—s. 1, ch. 17981, 1937; CGL 1940 Supp. 7100(3-a).

It is hereby declared that:(1) There exist in the state insanitary or unsafe dwelling accommodations and that persons of low income are forced to reside in such insanitary or unsafe accommodations; that within the state there is a shortage of safe or sanitary dwelling accommodati…

The following terms, wherever used or referred to in this part, shall have the following respective meanings for the purposes of this part, unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context:(1) “Authority” or “housing authority” shall mean any of the public corporations…

(1) In each city, as herein defined, there is hereby created a public body corporate and politic to be known as the “Housing Authority” of the city; provided, however, that such authority shall not transact any business or exercise its powers hereunder until or unless the governi…

(1) When the governing body of a city adopts a resolution as aforesaid, the mayor, with the approval of the governing body, shall promptly appoint no fewer than five persons, and no more than seven persons, as commissioners of the authority created for such city. Three of the com…

Except for the leasehold interest held by a tenant-commissioner in the housing project in which he or she is a tenant, no commissioner or employee of an authority shall acquire any interest, direct or indirect, in any housing project or in any property included or planned to be i…

For inefficiency or neglect of duty or misconduct in office, a commissioner of an authority may be removed by the mayor with the concurrence of the governing body, but a commissioner shall be removed only after he or she shall have been given a copy of the charges at least 10 day…

An authority shall constitute a public body corporate and politic, exercising the public and essential governmental functions set forth in this chapter, and having all the powers necessary or convenient to carry out and effectuate the purpose and provisions of this chapter, inclu…

(1) It is the policy of this state that each housing authority shall manage and operate its housing projects in an efficient manner so as to enable it to fix the rentals for dwelling accommodations at the lowest possible rates consistent with its providing decent, safe, and sanit…

(1) A complete and full financial accounting and audit in accordance with federal audit standards of public housing agencies shall be made biennially by a certified public accountant and submitted to the Federal Government in accordance with its policies. Housing authorities are …

(1) In the operation or management of housing projects an authority shall at all times observe the following duties with respect to rentals and tenant selection:(a) It may rent or lease the dwelling accommodations therein only to persons of low income and at rentals within the fi…