Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1602
By Senator Wright
8-00981A-26 20261602__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to housing for veterans; creating s.
3 83.684, F.S.; providing a short title; defining terms;
4 establishing the Homes for Veterans Property
5 Management Incentive Pilot Program in certain
6 counties; requiring the Florida Housing Finance
7 Corporation, in conjunction with other entities and
8 persons, to oversee the pilot program; authorizing
9 certain landlords to apply to the corporation to
10 receive funding from the Vacancy Relief Trust Fund and
11 the Risk Mitigation Trust Fund under certain
12 circumstances; providing the purpose of such trust
13 funds; requiring a landlord to submit to the
14 corporation specified documentation within a specified
15 time period to apply for either trust fund; requiring
16 certain case managers to assist the corporation;
17 authorizing a landlord to apply for up to a specified
18 dollar amount from the Risk Mitigation Trust Fund;
19 providing a requirement to apply for the Risk
20 Mitigation Trust Fund; providing that funding is
21 awarded on a first-come, first-served basis; requiring
22 the corporation to adopt rules; providing a contingent
23 effective date.
24
25 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
26
27 Section 1. Section 83.684, Florida Statutes, is created to
28 read:
29 83.684 Homes for Veterans Property Management Incentive
30 Pilot Program.—
31 (1) This section may be cited as the “Homes for Veterans
32 Property Management Incentive Pilot Program.”
33 (2) As used in this section, the term:
34 (a) “Corporation” means the Florida Housing Finance
35 Corporation.
36 (b) “Ledger” means a historical, physical ledger that
37 serves as the official records of a veteran, including a
38 veteran’s eligibility for the United States Department of
39 Housing and Urban Development - Veterans Affairs Supportive
40 Housing voucher with subsidy. The term also includes a digitized
41 system that contains and stores the same information as the
42 physical ledger.
43 (c) “Pilot program” means the Homes for Veterans Property
44 Management Incentive Pilot Program.
45 (d) “Veteran” has the same meaning as in s. 1.01(14).
46 (3) The Homes for Veterans Property Management Incentive
47 Pilot Program is established in Broward, Escambia, Hillsborough,
48 and Santa Rosa Counties to provide landlords with incentives to
49 address veteran homelessness. Implementation of this pilot
50 program is subject to annual legislative appropriations. The
51 corporation, in conjunction with the local public housing
52 authority and case managers assigned to veterans by the
53 Department of Veterans’ Affairs, shall establish and oversee the
54 Vacancy Relief Trust Fund, the Risk Mitigation Trust Fund, the
55 applications for such trust funds, the document requirements,
56 and all processes of the pilot program.
57 (4)(a) A landlord who enters into a rental agreement with
58 an eligible veteran may apply to the corporation to receive
59 funding from the Vacancy Relief Trust Fund created under s.
60 420.56. The purpose of the Vacancy Relief Trust Fund is to allow
61 a landlord to hold a dwelling unit for a period of time, and
62 still be compensated for the time that the dwelling unit is
63 vacant, until the veteran is able to move in to the dwelling
64 unit. The Vacancy Relief Trust Fund provides proportional rent
65 to eligible landlords for a period of up to 45 days after the
66 date the dwelling unit becomes available or until the actual
67 date that the veteran moves into the dwelling unit, whichever is
68 sooner.
69 (b) To apply for the Vacancy Relief Trust Fund, a landlord
70 must submit all required documentation to the corporation within
71 60 days after the veteran moves into the dwelling unit. The case
72 manager assigned to the veteran must assist the corporation by
73 facilitating trust fund requests from landlords and
74 documentation compliance. At a minimum, a landlord must submit
75 to the corporation all of the following:
76 1. A completed application, as determined by the
77 corporation.
78 2. The signed rental agreement between the landlord and the
79 veteran.
80 3. The turnover paperwork for the dwelling unit.
81 4. A move-in checklist with current photos of the dwelling
82 unit.
83 5. A copy of the veteran’s ledger or other proof, as
84 received by the corporation, that the veteran is eligible for
85 rental assistance under the United States Department of Housing
86 and Urban Development - Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing
87 program, as implemented by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs
88 and public housing authorities.
89 (5)(a) If a veteran moves out of the dwelling unit during
90 the first 12 months of a year-to-year rental agreement or after
91 the expiration of a rental agreement for any duration, the
92 landlord may apply to the corporation to receive funding from
93 the Risk Mitigation Trust Fund created under s. 420.56. The Risk
94 Mitigation Trust Fund is designed to cover property loss at the
95 dwelling unit caused by the veteran which extends beyond the
96 amount of the deposit money. The landlord may apply for up to
97 $2,000 beyond the deposit money.
98 (b) To apply for the Risk Mitigation Trust Fund, a landlord
99 must submit all required documentation to the corporation within
100 60 days after the veteran moves into the dwelling unit. The case
101 manager assigned to the veteran must assist the corporation by
102 facilitating trust fund requests from landlords and
103 documentation compliance. At a minimum, a landlord must submit
104 to the corporation all of the following:
105 1. A completed application, as determined by the
106 corporation.
107 2. The signed rental agreement between the landlord and the
108 veteran.
109 3. The turnover paperwork for the dwelling unit.
110 4. A copy of the move-in checklist with current photos of
111 the dwelling unit.
112 5. A copy of the veteran’s ledger or other proof, as
113 received by the corporation, that the veteran is eligible for
114 rental assistance under the United States Department of Housing
115 and Urban Development - Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing
116 program, as implemented by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs
117 and public housing authorities.
118 6. After the veteran vacates the dwelling unit, a copy of
119 the move-out checklist with current photos of the dwelling unit
120 and a copy of the written notice provided to the veteran by the
121 landlord in accordance with s. 83.49(3)(a).
122 (c) A landlord may apply for the Risk Mitigation Trust Fund
123 only if the landlord previously applied to the Vacancy Relief
124 Trust Fund.
125 (6) Funding for the pilot program is limited and the
126 corporation shall award funds on a first-come, first-served
127 basis.
128 (7) The corporation shall adopt rules to implement this
129 section.
130 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026, if SB
131 ____ or similar legislation is adopted in the same legislative
132 session or an extension thereof and becomes a law.