To resolve homeless aid glitch, Gov. Scott tells DCF to redirect $3.1 million

Homeless coalitions in Florida may receive the final year of a grant to help with rehousing and other programs for the neediest residents in their communities.

Gov. Rick Scott has directed the state Department of Children and Families to file a budget amendment so it can redirect funding in the agency’s budget for challenge grants to 27 homeless coalitions statewide.

Prior to the July 1 start of the new budget year, language was left off the budget document for $3.1 million to be allocated to DCF as the final year of the three-year challenge grant.

The Legislature had provided DCF with spending authority in the new budget for the grant, but the wording was not included to allow allocation of the funding.

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DCF has identified $3.1 million that can be redirected to the challenge grants, which the Legislative Budget Commission must approve.

“It’s a good deal,” said Eugene Williams, president of the Orlando-based Florida Coalition for the Homeless.

The Legislative Budget Commission could get a meeting scheduled shortly after the Fourth of July holiday to sign off on the budget amendment, he said.

“We are looking at probably around July 15, somewhere along there,” Williams said about when the money could become available.

Homeless coalitions in Lee and Collier counties are each facing a loss of $118,000 if the issue doesn’t get resolved.

“It looks like we have a good chance of getting some of the funding back, but don't know any details yet,” Christine Welton, executive director of the Hunger & Homeless Coalition of Collier County, said Tuesday.

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After annual “point in time” homeless counts in January, the Lee coalition determined there are 2,957 homeless in the community, and Collier’s coalition tallied 653 homeless.

“While it’s concerning that this funding was not provided in this year’s budget, I am proud that DCF will be able to redirect money to combat homelessness,” Scott said in a news release. “I encourage the Legislature to quickly approve this budget amendment that will fund programs that served nearly 13,000 Floridians last year.”

DCF Secretary Mike Carroll said the agency worked diligently to identify ways to continue funding the program.

“I want to thank Gov. Scott for his continued support of our work with all our federal and state partners to help every individual in need have a safe place to call home,” Carroll said in the release.

An additional $1.7 million in federal funding could be allocated to challenge grants, according to the governor’s office.

Florida has the third-highest homeless rate in the United States, with almost 36,000 people without homes. Roughly 19,000 of the individuals are in shelters, and 17,000 are not in shelters.

The Collier homeless coalition used the challenge grant in past years to help the Shelter for Abused Women & Children with staffing of two case managers who work in outreach and transitional housing, Welton said. The balance of the money last year provided emergency rental or utility assistance to almost 89 adults and 129 children.

In Lee County, the challenge grant money is shifted to programs run by The Salvation Army and the Lee County Housing Development Corp.