ENROLLED
2026 Legislature CS for CS for SB 1602, 1st Engrossed
20261602er
1
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, subject to legislative appropriation;
7 requiring the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, in
8 consultation with other entities and persons, to
9 establish and oversee specified aspects of the pilot
10 program; providing the responsibilities of the
11 corporation for the pilot program; requiring
12 contracted program administrators to maintain certain
13 functions of the pilot program; authorizing certain
14 landlords to apply to a contracted program
15 administrator to request funding under certain
16 circumstances; requiring a landlord to submit to the
17 contracted program administrator required
18 documentation within a specified time period to apply
19 for funding; requiring certain case managers to assist
20 the contracted program administrator; requiring the
21 contracted program administrator to maintain and
22 provide certain documentation to the corporation;
23 requiring the entity responsible for certain functions
24 to maintain any supporting documentation; authorizing
25 the corporation to rely on certifications,
26 determinations, and documentation provided by
27 specified entities; authorizing a landlord to apply
28 for up to a specified dollar amount from the funds;
29 providing requirements to apply for funding; providing
30 that funding for the pilot program is awarded on a
31 first-come, first-served basis; authorizing the
32 corporation to suspend the acceptance of applications
33 under certain circumstances; requiring specified
34 notice; requiring the corporation to adopt rules;
35 providing an effective date.
36
37 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
38
39 Section 1. Section 83.684, Florida Statutes, is created to
40 read:
41 83.684 Homes for Veterans Property Management Incentive
42 Pilot Program.—
43 (1) This section may be cited as the “Homes for Veterans
44 Property Management Incentive Pilot Program Act.”
45 (2) As used in this section, the term:
46 (a) “Corporation” means the Florida Housing Finance
47 Corporation.
48 (b) “HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program” means
49 a program that combines the United States Department of Housing
50 and Urban Development’s housing choice voucher rental assistance
51 for homeless veterans with case management and clinical services
52 provided by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
53 (c) “Pilot program” means the Homes for Veterans Property
54 Management Incentive Pilot Program.
55 (d) “Veteran” has the same meaning as in s. 1.01(14).
56 (3) The Homes for Veterans Property Management Incentive
57 Pilot Program is established in Broward, Escambia, Hillsborough,
58 and Santa Rosa Counties to provide eligible landlords with
59 incentives to lease eligible dwelling units to veterans who are
60 participating in the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing
61 program. Implementation of this pilot program is subject to
62 annual legislative appropriation. The corporation, in
63 consultation with the local public housing authority and case
64 managers assigned to veterans by the United States Department of
65 Veterans’ Affairs, shall establish and oversee the document
66 requirements and all processes of the pilot program. The
67 corporation’s responsibilities under this section are limited to
68 program administration, including rulemaking, oversight, and
69 establishing and executing contracts with one or more local
70 public housing authorities, contracted program administrators,
71 or other public or nonprofit entities that have experience
72 administering the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing
73 program, supportive housing, or landlord mitigation programs to
74 perform intake, documentation review, and claim verification
75 functions to locally administer funds and to distribute funding
76 to the contracted program administrator for payment of approved
77 reimbursement requests. The corporation is not responsible for
78 maintaining eligibility files, tenancy records, or other case
79 level documentation for the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive
80 Housing program. Such functions shall be maintained by the
81 contracted program administrator.
82 (4)(a) A landlord who enters into a rental agreement with
83 an eligible veteran may apply to a contracted program
84 administrator to request funding for the purpose of allowing a
85 landlord to hold a dwelling unit for a period of time, and still
86 be compensated for the time that the dwelling unit is vacant,
87 until the veteran is able to move into the dwelling unit. Such
88 funding provides proportional rent to eligible landlords for a
89 period of up to 45 days after the date the dwelling unit becomes
90 available or until the actual date that the veteran moves into
91 the dwelling unit, whichever is sooner.
92 (b) To apply for funding under paragraph (a), a landlord
93 must submit all required documentation to the contracted program
94 administrator within 60 days after the veteran moves into the
95 dwelling unit. The case manager assigned to the veteran shall
96 assist the contracted program administrator by facilitating
97 funding requests from landlords and documentation compliance.
98 The contracted program administrator shall maintain all
99 documentation required under this subsection and provide the
100 corporation with a certification of eligibility, tenancy dates,
101 and verified costs within the timeframe established by the
102 corporation by rule. At a minimum, a landlord shall submit
103 documentation to the contracted program administrator in the
104 form and manner established by the corporation. Required
105 supporting documentation necessary to confirm eligibility for
106 reimbursement and oversight shall be maintained by the entity
107 responsible for case management or rental assistance
108 administration in the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing
109 program.
110 (c) The corporation may rely on certifications,
111 determinations, and documentation provided by public housing
112 authorities, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs,
113 providers of Supportive Services for Veteran Families,
114 continuums of care, or other entities responsible for
115 administering or supporting the functions of the HUD-Veterans
116 Affairs Supportive Housing program. The corporation’s reliance
117 on such certifications, determinations, and documentation
118 satisfies the corporation’s oversight and evaluation
119 responsibilities of the functions, activities, and outcomes for
120 the pilot program.
121 (5)(a) If a veteran moves out of the dwelling unit during
122 the first 12 months of a year-to-year rental agreement or after
123 the expiration of a rental agreement for any duration, the
124 landlord may apply to the contracted program administrator for
125 funding to cover property loss at the dwelling unit caused by
126 the veteran which exceeds the amount of the deposit money. The
127 landlord may apply for up to $2,000 beyond the deposit money.
128 (b) To apply for funding under paragraph (a), a landlord
129 must submit all required documentation to the contracted program
130 administrator within 60 days after the veteran moves out of the
131 dwelling unit. The case manager assigned to the veteran shall
132 assist the contracted program administrator by facilitating
133 funding requests from landlords and documentation compliance.
134 The contracted program administrator shall maintain all
135 documentation required under this subsection and provide the
136 corporation, within the timeframe established by rule, a
137 certification of eligibility, tenancy dates, verified damage
138 amounts, and verified costs. Required supporting documentation
139 necessary to confirm eligibility for reimbursement and oversight
140 shall be maintained by the entity responsible for case
141 management or rental assistance administration in the HUD
142 Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program.
143 (c) After the veteran vacates the dwelling unit, the
144 landlord shall provide the contracted program administrator a
145 copy of the move-out checklist with current photos of the
146 dwelling unit and a copy of the written notice provided to the
147 veteran by the landlord in accordance with s. 83.49(3)(a).
148 (d) A landlord may apply for funding under paragraph (a)
149 only if the landlord previously applied for funding under
150 paragraph (4)(a).
151 (6) Funding for the pilot program is limited, and the
152 corporation shall award funds on a first-come, first-served
153 basis. The corporation may suspend acceptance of applications
154 when available appropriations are fully obligated. The
155 corporation must notify contracted program administrators if
156 intake of applications is suspended and when intake of
157 applications is resumed.
158 (7) The corporation shall adopt rules to implement this
159 section.
160 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.