The Department of Children and Families Office on Homelessness has made $395,820 available under the State Unified Homelessness Grant Program (Florida). Qualified non-profit organizations can apply for the Challenge Grant ($119,000), Emergency Solutions Grant ($257,000), and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families ($38,000). The grant funds are for activities performed for the fiscal year of July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024.
Opening Doors Northwest Florida, FL-511 CoC Lead Agency, is now accepting applications and will receive admin fees, totaling $18,510. The application deadline is 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 30.
The Challenge Grant funding is to assist those individuals or households who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. The $119,000 can be used for homeless prevention, rapid rehousing, transitional housing, permanent housing, case management, emergency shelter and hotel vouchers.
The Emergency Solutions Grant covers engaging homeless individuals and families living on the streets through outreach contacts; improving the number and quality of emergency shelters for homeless individuals and families and help operate these shelters; and providing essential services to shelter residents, prevent individuals and families from becoming homeless and rapidly re-house homeless individuals and families.
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families provide only $38,000 — $36,860 after admin fees — to pay past due rent or mortgage payments, not more than two months, and past due utility bills, also not exceeding two months in arrears.
Applicants that propose activities that assist individuals and families experiencing homelessness to acquire permanent housing and provide ongoing supportive services to increase the likelihood that these individuals and families will be able to retain permanent housing once housed will be given priority consideration.
Additionally, prioritization will be given to projects that provide client-focused, trauma-informed, and culturally competent services to historically underserved or marginalized groups, including individuals and families with recent history of public institutionalization, seniors, LGBTQ+, communities of color and Native and Indigenous communities. Prioritization will be given to applicants that effectively demonstrate how their proposed projects will:
1. Reduce chronic homelessness;
2. Prevent homelessness -or- first time homelessness;
3. Reduce the length of time persons experience homelessness;
4. Reduce returns to homelessness; and 5. Increase housing placement retention.
The applications will be reviewed by the CoC (Continuum of Care) Project Review and Selection Committee. Project applications submitted by organizations must meet all requirements, regulations, eligible activities, priorities, and application instructions of the RFP.
Interested Project Applicants are strongly encouraged to attend the in-person RFP Informational Meeting that will be held at Opening Doors NW FL at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 5. There will be a virtual option and the meeting will be recorded and posted to the Opening Doors Website on the 2023 FL-511 Request for Proposal (DCF) Page.
For more info, visit Opening Doors.