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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to young adults who are homeless or 2
were in the child welfare system; amending s. 3
409.1452, F.S.; requiring each Florida College System 4
institution and state university, in consultation with 5
the State Office on Homelessness, to develop a pl an to 6
prioritize the placement of certain students in 7
residence halls or dormitory residences; providing 8
responsibilities for the Office of Continuing Care, 9
Florida College System institutions, and state 10
universities; requiring that certain institutions an d 11
universities give priority to certain students for 12
housing and work-study opportunities; prohibiting 13
institutions and universities from requiring a 14
cosigner or guarantor to obtain housing for certain 15
students; creating s. 409.14525, F.S.; requiring 16
certain entities to administer certain federal 17
programs and vouchers; providing requirements for 18
administering such programs and vouchers; requiring 19
specified entities to document certain actions and 20
provide certain assurances to landlords; providing 21
applicability; providing an effective date. 22
23
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 24
25
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
Section 1. Subsections (4), (5), and (6) are added to 26
section 409.1452, Florida Statutes, to read: 27
409.1452 Collaboration with State University System, 28
Florida College System, and Department of Education to assist 29
children and young adults who have been or are in foster care or 30
are experiencing homelessness; documentation regarding 31
eligibility for tuition and fee exemptions ; housing assistance .—32
The department shall collaborate with the State University 33
System, the Florida College System, and the Department of 34
Education to address the need for a comprehensive support 35
structure in the academic arena to assist children and young 36
adults who have been or remain in the foster care system in 37
making the transition from a structured care system into an 38
independent living setting. 39
(4) Each Florida College System institution and state 40
university shall, in consultation with the State Office on 41
Homelessness within the Department of Children and Families, 42
develop a plan to prioritize the placement of students who are 43
currently or were formerly in foster care or who are 44
experiencing homelessness or are at risk of experiencing 45
homelessness, including, but not limited to, students eligible 46
for the tuition and fee exemption under s. 1009.25(1)(c)1. -4. or 47
(1)(e), in residence halls or dormitory residences owned by the 48
institution or university. The Office of Continuing Care 49
established under s. 414.56 is responsible for deter mining if a 50
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
student is or was formerly in foster care. Each Florida College 51
System institution and state university is responsible for 52
determining whether a student is eligible for a tuition or fee 53
exemption under s. 1009.25(1)(e). 54
(5) If a Florida Colle ge System institution or state 55
university implements a priority system for the assignment of 56
students to or the award of any of the following, the 57
institution or university must give first priority to students 58
who are eligible for the tuition and fee exemp tion under s. 59
1009.25(1)(c)1.-4. or (1)(e): 60
(a) Institution-operated or university -operated housing. 61
(b) Year-round housing. 62
(c) Work-study opportunities. 63
(6) Florida College System institutions and state 64
universities may not require a student to h ave a cosigner or 65
guarantor to obtain housing if the student receives housing 66
support under s. 409.1451(2) or (3) or is receiving continuing 67
care under s. 39.6251. 68
Section 2. Section 409.14525, Florida Statutes, is created 69
to read: 70
409.14525 Housing support for young adults; federal 71
housing vouchers.— 72
(1) The department, community -based care lead agencies, 73
and housing authorities created under s. 421.04 shall administer 74
the federal Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) initiative and 75
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other federal programs and vouchers offered by the United States 76
Department of Housing and Urban Development, which may require 77
the department, a community -based care lead agency, and 78
subcontracted service providers thereof to do any of the 79
following: 80
(a) Enter into a mem orandum of understanding or letter of 81
intent with each housing authority located within the service 82
area of the department or community -based care lead agency. 83
(b) Provide or secure supportive services for 84
participating young adults for the duration of the FYI 85
initiative voucher. 86
(c) Provide a written certification to the housing 87
authority verifying the young adult's child welfare history. 88
(d) Identify each young adult eligible for an FYI 89
initiative voucher within each community -based care lead 90
agency's caseload and communicate such eligibility to each young 91
adult. 92
(2) The department, community -based care lead agencies, 93
and subcontracted service providers thereof that administer 94
housing funds for young adults in the child welfare system must 95
document actions taken to facilitate a young adult's acquisition 96
of a residential lease, including, but not limited to, providing 97
assurances to a landlord that funding will be provided on a 98
monthly basis through a housing voucher. This subsection applies 99
to entities that serve young adults receiving postsecondary 100
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educational services and support or aftercare services under s. 101
409.1451 or young adults receiving continuing care under 102
39.6251. 103
Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 104