H 1481

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    CS/CS/CS/HB 1481  2026
1A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to housing for veterans; creating s.
383.684, F.S.; providing a short title; providing
4definitions; establishing the Homes for Veterans
5Property Management Incentive Pilot Program in certain
6counties, subject to legislative appropriation;
7requiring the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, in
8consultation with other entities and persons, to
9oversee specified aspects of the pilot program;
10providing the responsibilities of the corporation for
11the pilot program; requiring contracted program
12administrators to maintain certain functions of the
13pilot program; authorizing certain landlords to apply
14to a contracted program administrator to request
15funding from the Vacancy Relief and Risk Mitigation
16Trust Fund under certain circumstances; providing the
17purpose of such trust fund; providing requirements to
18request funding from the trust fund; requiring certain
19case managers to assist the contracted program
20administrator; requiring the contracted program
21administrator to maintain and provide certain
22documentation to the corporation; requiring the entity
23responsible for certain functions to maintain any
24supporting documentation; authorizing the corporation
25to rely on certifications, determinations, and
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26documentation provided by specified entities;
27providing that funding for the pilot program is
28awarded on a first-come, first-served basis;
29authorizing the corporation to suspend the acceptance
30of applications under certain circumstances; requiring
31specified notice; requiring the corporation to adopt
32rules; providing an effective date.
33
34    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
35
36Section 1.  Section 83.684, Florida Statutes, is created to
37    read:
3883.684       Homes for Veterans Property Management Incentive
39    Pilot Program.—
40(1)     This section may be cited as the "Homes for Veterans
41    Property Management Incentive Pilot Program."
42(2)     As used in this section, the term:
43(a)     "Corporation" means the Florida Housing Finance
44    Corporation.
45(b)     "HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program"
46    means a program that combines the United States Department of
47    Housing and Urban Development's housing choice voucher rental
48    assistance for homeless veterans with case management and
49    clinical services provided by the United States Department of
50    Veterans Affairs.
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51(c)     "Pilot program" means the Homes for Veterans Property
52    Management Incentive Pilot Program.
53(d)     "Veteran" has the same meaning as in s. 1.01(14).
54(3)     The Homes for Veterans Property Management Incentive
55    Pilot Program is established in Broward, Escambia, Hillsborough,
56    and Santa Rosa Counties to provide eligible landlords with
57    incentives to lease eligible dwelling units to veterans who are
58    participating in the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing
59    program. Implementation of this pilot program is subject to
60    annual legislative appropriation. The corporation, in
61    consultation with the local public housing authority and case
62    managers assigned to veterans by the United States Department of
63    Veterans' Affairs, shall establish and oversee the Vacancy
64    Relief and Risk Mitigation Trust Fund, the applications for such
65    trust fund, the document requirements, and all processes of the
66    pilot program. The corporation's responsibilities under this
67    section are limited to program administration, including
68    rulemaking, oversight, and establishing and executing contracts
69    with one or more local public housing authorities, contracted
70    program administrators, or other public or nonprofit entities
71    that have experience administering the HUD-Veterans Affairs
72    Supportive Housing program, supportive housing, or landlord
73    mitigation programs to perform intake, documentation review, and
74    claim verification functions to locally administer the funds in
75    the Vacancy Relief and Risk Mitigation Trust Fund and to
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76     distribute funding to the contracted program administrator for
77     payment of approved reimbursement requests. The corporation is
78     not responsible for maintaining eligibility files, tenancy
79     records, or other case-level documentation for the HUD-Veterans
80     Affairs Supportive Housing program. Such functions must be
81     maintained by the 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 from the Vacancy Relief and
85     Risk Mitigation Trust Fund for the purpose of allowing a
86     landlord to hold a dwelling unit for a period of time, and still
87     be compensated for the time that the dwelling unit is vacant,
88     until the veteran is able to move into the dwelling unit. Such
89     trust fund provides proportional rent to eligible landlords for
90     a period of up to 45 days after the date the dwelling unit
91     becomes available or until the actual date that the veteran
92     moves into the dwelling unit, whichever is sooner.
93(b)     To apply for funding under paragraph (a), a landlord
94     must submit all required documentation to the contracted program
95     administrator within 60 days after the veteran moves into the
96     dwelling unit. The case manager assigned to the veteran must
97     assist the contracted program administrator by facilitating
98     trust fund requests from landlords and documentation compliance.
99     The contracted program administrator must maintain all
100    documentation required under this subsection and provide the
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101    corporation with a certification of eligibility, tenancy dates,
102    and verified costs within the timeframe established by the
103    corporation by rule. At a minimum, a landlord must submit
104    documentation to the contracted program administrator in the
105    form and manner established by the corporation. Required
106    supporting documentation necessary to confirm eligibility for
107    reimbursement and oversight must be maintained by the entity
108    responsible for case management or rental assistance
109    administration in the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing
110    program.
111(c)     The corporation may rely on certifications,
112    determinations, and documentation provided by public housing
113    authorities, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs,
114    providers of Supportive Services for Veteran Families,
115    continuums of care, or other entities responsible for
116    administering or supporting the functions of the HUD-Veterans
117    Affairs Supportive Housing program. The corporation's reliance
118    on such certifications, determinations, and documentation
119    satisfies the corporation's oversight and evaluation
120    responsibilities of the functions, activities, and outcomes for
121    the pilot program.
122(5)(a)       If a veteran moves out of the dwelling unit during
123    the first 12 months of a year-to-year rental agreement or after
124    the expiration of a rental agreement for any duration, the
125    landlord may apply to the contracted program administrator for
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126    funding from the Vacancy Relief and Risk Mitigation Trust Fund
127    to cover property loss at the dwelling unit caused by the
128    veteran which extends beyond the amount of the deposit money.
129    The landlord may apply for up to $2,000 beyond the deposit
130    money.
131(b)     To apply for funding under paragraph (a), a landlord
132    must submit all required documentation to the contracted program
133    administrator within 60 days after the veteran moves out of the
134    dwelling unit. The case manager assigned to the veteran must
135    assist the contracted program administrator by facilitating
136    trust fund requests from landlords and documentation compliance.
137    The contracted program administrator must maintain all
138    documentation required under this subsection and provide the
139    corporation, within the timeframe established by rule, a
140    certification of eligibility, tenancy dates, verified damage
141    amounts, and verified costs. Required supporting documentation
142    necessary to confirm eligibility for reimbursement and oversight
143    must be maintained by the entity responsible for case management
144    or rental assistance administration in the HUD-Veterans Affairs
145    Supportive Housing program.
146(c)     After the veteran vacates the dwelling unit, the
147    landlord must provide a copy of the move-out checklist with
148    current photos of the dwelling unit and a copy of the written
149    notice provided to the veteran by the landlord in accordance
150    with s. 83.49(3)(a).
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151(d)     A landlord may apply for funding under paragraph (a)
152    only if the landlord previously applied for funding under
153    paragraph (4)(a).
154(6)     Funding for the pilot program is limited, and the
155    corporation shall award funds on a first-come, first-served
156    basis. The corporation may suspend acceptance of applications
157    when available appropriations are fully obligated. The
158    corporation must notify contracted program administrators if
159    intake of applications is suspended and when intake of
160    applications is resumed.
161(7)     The corporation shall adopt rules to implement this
162    section.
163Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.
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