Florida Senate - 2025 SB 584
By Senator Garcia
36-00864-25 2025584__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to young adult housing support;
3 amending s. 409.1452, F.S.; requiring each Florida
4 College System institution and state university to
5 develop plans for prioritizing the placement of
6 certain students; requiring a Florida College System
7 institution or state university to provide certain
8 students with first priority for housing and work
9 study opportunities in certain circumstances;
10 prohibiting Florida College System institutions and
11 state universities from requiring that certain
12 students have a cosigner or guarantor; creating s.
13 409.14525, F.S.; requiring the Department of Children
14 and Families, community-based care lead agencies, and
15 housing authorities to take any action required by the
16 United States Department of Housing and Urban
17 Development to administer the federal Foster Youth to
18 Independence initiative; requiring the department,
19 community-based care lead agencies, and certain
20 subcontractors to take reasonable actions to
21 facilitate current and former foster youths in the
22 acquisition of residential leases; requiring the
23 Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government
24 Accountability (OPPAGA) to conduct a study of the
25 barriers to housing faced by young adults who are
26 homeless or were formerly in foster care; requiring
27 OPPAGA to consult with certain entities in conducting
28 the study; requiring OPPAGA to provide a report to the
29 Governor and the Legislature by a certain date;
30 providing an effective date.
31
32 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
33
34 Section 1. Subsections (4), (5), and (6) are added to
35 section 409.1452, Florida Statutes, to read:
36 409.1452 Collaboration with State University System,
37 Florida College System, and Department of Education to assist
38 children and young adults who have been or are in foster care or
39 are experiencing homelessness; documentation regarding
40 eligibility for tuition and fee exemptions; housing assistance.
41 The department shall collaborate with the State University
42 System, the Florida College System, and the Department of
43 Education to address the need for a comprehensive support
44 structure in the academic arena to assist children and young
45 adults who have been or remain in the foster care system in
46 making the transition from a structured care system into an
47 independent living setting.
48 (4) Each Florida College System institution and state
49 university shall, in consultation with the State Office on
50 Homelessness within the Department of Children and Families,
51 develop plans for prioritizing the placement of students who are
52 or were formerly in foster care and those experiencing
53 homelessness or at risk of experiencing homelessness, including,
54 but not limited to, students eligible for the tuition and fee
55 exemption under s. 1009.25(1)(e), in residence halls and
56 dormitory residences owned by the institution or university.
57 (5) If a Florida College System institution or state
58 university implements a priority system for the assignment of
59 students to or the award of any of the following, the
60 institution or university must provide students eligible for the
61 tuition and fee exemption under s. 1009.25(1)(e) with first
62 priority:
63 (a) Institution-operated or university-operated housing.
64 (b) Year-round housing.
65 (c) Work study opportunities.
66 (6) Florida College System institutions and state
67 universities may not require students to have a cosigner or
68 guarantor to obtain housing if the student receives housing
69 support under s. 409.1451(2) or (3) or is in care under s.
70 39.6251.
71 Section 2. Section 409.14525, Florida Statutes, is created
72 to read:
73 409.14525 Housing support for young adults.—
74 (1) FEDERAL HOUSING VOUCHERS.—The department, community
75 based care lead agencies, and housing authorities created under
76 s. 421.04 shall take any action required by the United States
77 Department of Housing and Urban Development to administer the
78 federal Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) initiative, which may
79 include the department, the community-based care lead agencies,
80 and their subcontractors doing any of the following:
81 (a) Entering into a memorandum of understanding or a letter
82 of intent with all of the housing authorities within their
83 service areas.
84 (b) Providing or securing supportive services for
85 participating youth for the duration of the FYI initiative
86 voucher.
87 (c) Providing a written certification to the housing
88 authority verifying the youth’s child welfare history.
89 (d) Identifying youth eligible for an FYI initiative
90 voucher within the community-based care lead agency’s caseload
91 and communicating their eligibility to the youth.
92 (2) ASSURING PAYMENT FOR RESIDENTIAL LEASES.—The
93 department, community-based care lead agency, and any
94 subcontractor responsible for administering housing funds for
95 current or former foster youth shall take reasonable actions to
96 facilitate the current or former foster youth’s acquisition of a
97 residential lease. Reasonable actions include providing
98 assurance to landlords that the department, community-based care
99 lead agency, or subcontractor will provide funds on a monthly
100 basis. The assurance may be provided by cosigning the lease,
101 providing a guarantee, or in another form acceptable to the
102 landlord. This subsection applies to entities serving young
103 adults under s. 409.1451(2) and (3) and those who are in care
104 under s. 39.6251.
105 Section 3. (1) The Office of Program Policy Analysis and
106 Government Accountability (OPPAGA) shall conduct a study of the
107 barriers that young adults who are homeless or were formerly in
108 foster care face when trying to obtain housing. The study must
109 include recommendations for overcoming those barriers.
110 (2) In conducting the study, OPPAGA shall consult with the
111 Department of Children and Families, the Board of Governors of
112 the State University System, the Florida College System, the
113 Department of Commerce, public housing authorities, affected
114 young adults, and other stakeholders.
115 (3) OPPAGA must issue its findings by December 1, 2026, in
116 a report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the
117 Speaker of the House of Representatives.
118 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.