HB 287

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to homelessness; amending ss. 420.621,
3	420.622, 420.623, 420.624, and 420.625, F.S.; requiring
4	the Department of Children and Family Services to create
5	lead agencies for the homeless for certain purposes;
6	transferring responsibilities and powers of local
7	coalitions for the homeless to lead agencies for the
8	homeless; conforming provisions; amending s. 683.325,
9	F.S.; conforming terminology; providing an effective date.
10
11	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
12
13	Section 1.  Subsection (6) of section 420.621, Florida
14	Statutes, is amended to read:
15	420.621  Definitions.--As used in ss. 420.621-420.628, the
16	term:
17	(6)  "Lead agency Local coalition for the homeless" or
18	"lead agency" means an agency a coalition established pursuant
19	to s. 420.623.
20	Section 2.  Paragraphs (e) and (l) of subsection (3) and
21	subsection (4) of section 420.622, Florida Statutes, are amended
22	to read:
23	420.622  State Office on Homelessness; Council on
24	Homelessness.--
25	(3)  The State Office on Homelessness, pursuant to the
26	policies set by the council and subject to the availability of
27	funding, shall:
28	(e)  Monitor and provide recommendations for coordinating
29	the activities and programs of lead agencies local coalitions
30	for the homeless and promote the effectiveness of programs
31	addressing the needs of the homeless.
32	(l)  Convene meetings and workshops of state and local
33	agencies, lead agencies local coalitions and programs, and other
34	stakeholders for the purpose of developing and reviewing
35	policies, services, activities, coordination, and funding of
36	efforts to meet the needs of the homeless.
37	(4)  Not less than 120 days after the effective date of
38	this act, the State Office on Homelessness, with the concurrence
39	of the Council on Homelessness, may accept and administer moneys
40	appropriated to it to provide "Challenge Grants" annually to
41	lead agencies for homeless assistance continuums of care
42	designated by the State Office on Homelessness. A lead agency
43	for the homeless may be a local homeless coalition, municipal or
44	county government, any or other public agency, or a private,
45	not-for-profit corporation. Such grants may be up to $500,000
46	per lead agency.
47	(a)  To qualify for the grant, a lead agency must develop
48	and implement a local homeless assistance continuum of care plan
49	for its designated catchment area.
50	(b)  Preference must be given to those lead agencies that
51	have demonstrated the ability of their continuum of care to
52	provide quality services to homeless persons and the ability to
53	leverage federal homeless-assistance funding under the Stewart
54	B. McKinney Act and private funding for the provision of
55	services to homeless persons.
56	(c)  Preference must be given to lead agencies in catchment
57	areas with the greatest need for the provision of housing and
58	services to the homeless, relative to the population of the
59	catchment area.
60	Section 3.  Section 420.623, Florida Statutes, is amended
61	to read:
62	420.623  Lead agencies Local coalitions for the homeless.--
63	(1)  ESTABLISHMENT.--The department shall establish lead
64	agencies local coalitions to plan, network, coordinate, and
65	monitor the delivery of services to the homeless. Appropriate
66	local groups and organizations involved in providing services
67	for the homeless and interested business groups and associations
68	shall be given an opportunity to participate in such agencies
69	coalitions, including, but not limited to:
70	(a)  Organizations and agencies providing mental health and
71	substance abuse treatment.
72	(b)  County health departments and community health
73	centers.
74	(c)  Organizations and agencies providing food, shelter, or
75	other services targeted to the homeless.
76	(d)  Local law enforcement agencies.
77	(e)  Regional workforce boards.
78	(f)  County and municipal governments.
79	(g)  Local public housing authorities.
80	(h)  Local school districts.
81	(i)  Local organizations and agencies serving specific
82	subgroups of the homeless population, including, but not limited
83	to, those serving veterans, victims of domestic violence, person
84	with HIV/AIDS, and runaway youth.
85	(j)  Local community-based care alliances.
86	(2)  FUNCTIONS OF LEAD AGENCIES LOCAL COALITIONS.--Major
87	functions of the lead agencies local coalitions are to:
88	(a)  Develop or coordinate assist with the development of
89	the local homeless continuum of care plan, as described in s.
90	420.624, for the catchment area containing the county or region
91	served by the lead agency local homeless coalition. Unless
92	otherwise specified in the plan or as a result of an agreement
93	with another lead agency coalition in the same catchment area,
94	the local lead agency coalition shall serve as the lead agency
95	for the local homeless assistance continuum of care.
96	(b)  Discuss local issues related to homelessness and the
97	needs of the homeless.
98	(c)  Inventory all local resources for the homeless,
99	including, but not limited to, food assistance, clothing,
100	emergency shelter, low-cost housing, emergency medical care,
101	counseling, training, and employment.
102	(d)  Review and assess all services and programs in support
103	of the homeless and identify unmet needs of the homeless.
104	(e)  Facilitate the delivery of multiagency services for
105	the homeless to eliminate duplication of services and to
106	maximize the use of limited existing resources for the homeless.
107	(f)  Develop new programs and services to fill critical
108	service gaps, if necessary, through reallocation of existing
109	resources for the homeless.
110	(g)  Develop a community resource directory of services
111	available to the homeless for use by agencies, volunteers,
112	information and referral systems, and homeless persons.
113	(h)  Develop public education and outreach initiatives to
114	make homeless persons aware of the services available to them
115	through community agencies and organizations.
116	(i)  Identify and explore new approaches to shelter care
117	for the homeless.
118	(j)  Monitor and evaluate local homeless initiatives to
119	assess their impact, to determine the adequacy of services
120	available through such initiatives, and to identify additional
121	unmet needs of homeless persons.
122	(k)  Collect and compile information relating to the
123	homeless population served and report on a regular basis, but at
124	least annually, such information to the department, as directed
125	by the department.
126	(l)  Develop an annual report detailing the lead agency's
127	coalition's goals and activities.
128	(m)  Develop spending plans pursuant to the grant-in-aid
129	program created under s. 420.625. Spending plans shall include a
130	competitive ranking of applications from local agencies eligible
131	for funding pursuant to the provisions of s. 420.625.
132	(n)  Develop a strategy for increasing support and
133	participation from local businesses in the lead agency's
134	coalition's programs and activities.
135	(3)  DEPARTMENT GUIDELINES.--The department shall develop
136	guidelines for lead agency coalition activities and, coalition
137	reports, and development of local plans of action.
138	(4)  ANNUAL REPORTS.--The department shall submit to the
139	Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the
140	President of the Senate, by June 30, an annual report consisting
141	of a compilation of data collected by lead agencies local
142	coalitions, progress made in the development and implementation
143	of local homeless assistance continuums of care plans in each
144	district, local spending plans, programs and resources available
145	at the local level, and recommendations for programs and
146	funding.
147	Section 4.  Subsections (4), (5), and (6) of section
148	420.624, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
149	420.624  Local homeless assistance continuum of care.--
150	(4)  Each local homeless assistance continuum of care plan
151	must designate a lead agency that will serve as the point of
152	contact and accountability to the State Office on Homelessness.
153	The lead agency may be a local homeless coalition, municipal or
154	county government, any or other public agency, or a private,
155	not-for-profit corporation.
156	(5)  Continuum of care catchment areas must be designated
157	and revised as necessary by the State Office on Homelessness,
158	with the input of lead agencies local homeless coalitions and
159	public or private organizations that have previously certified
160	to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
161	and that currently serve as lead agencies for a local homeless
162	assistance continuum of care. Designated catchment areas must
163	not be overlapping. The designations must be consistent with
164	those made by the United States Department of Housing and Urban
165	Development in conjunction with the awarding of federal Stewart
166	B. McKinney Act homeless assistance funding.
167	(6)  The State Office on Homelessness shall recognize only
168	one homeless assistance continuum of care plan and its
169	designated lead agency for each designated catchment area. The
170	recognition must be made with the input of lead agencies local
171	homeless coalitions and public or private organizations that
172	have previously certified to the United States Department of
173	Housing and Urban Development that they currently serve as lead
174	agencies for a local homeless assistance continuum of care. The
175	designations must be consistent with those made by the United
176	States Department of Housing and Development in conjunction with
177	the awarding of federal Stewart B. McKinney Act homeless
178	assistance funding.
179	Section 5.  Paragraphs (e) and (f) of subsection (5) and
180	subsection (7) of section 420.625, Florida Statutes, are amended
181	to read:
182	420.625  Grant-in-aid program.--
183	(5)  SPENDING PLANS.--The department shall develop
184	guidelines for the development of spending plans and for the
185	evaluation and approval by district administrators of spending
186	plans, based upon such factors as:
187	(e)  A statement from the lead agency local coalition for
188	the homeless as to the steps to be taken to assure coordination
189	and integration of services in the district to avoid unnecessary
190	duplication and costs.
191	(f)  Assurances by the lead agency local coalition for the
192	homeless that alternative funding strategies for meeting needs
193	through the reallocation of existing resources, utilization of
194	volunteers, and local government or private agency funding have
195	been explored.
196	(7)  DISTRIBUTION TO LOCAL AGENCIES.--District funds so
197	allocated shall be available for distribution by the district
198	administrator to local agencies to fund programs such as those
199	set forth in subsection (3), based upon the recommendations of
200	the lead agencies local coalitions in accordance with spending
201	plans developed by the lead agencies coalitions and approved by
202	the district administrator. Not more than 10 percent of the
203	total state funds awarded under a spending plan may be used by
204	the lead agency local coalition for staffing and administration.
205	Section 6.  Section 683.325, Florida Statutes, is amended
206	to read:
207	683.325  Homeless Persons' Memorial Day.--The Legislature
208	designates December 21, the first day of winter and the longest
209	night of the year as a Homeless Persons' Memorial Day to bring
210	attention to the tragedy of homelessness. The State Office on
211	Homelessness, lead agencies for the homeless local homeless
212	coalitions, and local governments are encouraged to sponsor
213	events to promote awareness of the plight of the homeless and
214	identify actions that individuals and organizations can take to
215	address the problem of homelessness.
216	Section 7.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2010.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.