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Lee Commissioners accept state funds for people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness

WGCU | By WGCU Staff
Published August 6, 2024 at 9:54 AM EDT
A homeless man sits behind a building with his belongings. He was seen while on the PIT count in Lee County.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
A homeless man sits behind a building with his belongings. He was seen while on the PIT count in Cape Coral.

The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted Tuesday to accept more than $407,000 from the Florida Department of Children and Families for housing and services for people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness.

The funding is expected to serve about 576 individuals before June 30, 2025. The funds are divided among four grant programs:

  • Challenge Grant ($148,500) - Administered by Lee County Human & Veteran Services direct services staff to provide housing and services to an estimated 420 individuals who are experiencing, or at risk of homelessness.
  • Emergency Solutions Grant ($105,525) - Administered by Lee County Human & Veteran Services to fund street outreach workers to engage persons living in places not intended for human habitation and connect them with housing and supportive services necessary to end their homelessness. It also includes a Rapid Rehousing Program which provides move-in and rental assistance. It is estimated that 120 individuals/families will be assisted through street outreach and 12 individuals will be assisted through rapid rehousing.
  • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families - Prevention Grant ($46,582) - Administered through a sub-recipient contract with Lee County Housing Development Corp. to provide case management and assistance with past due rent and utilities to prevent families from becoming homeless. It is estimated that 24 individuals will be assisted.
  • Staffing Grant ($107,143) - Administered through a sub-recipient contract with Lee County Homeless Coalition to support the Coalition to improve the overall quality of life for individuals/families who are homeless through advocacy and coordination with community partners.

The Lee County Continuum of Care (CoC) includes local governments, agencies, advocates and program users who collectively plan and implement programs to serve persons who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. The Lee County Homeless Coalition and Lee County Human & Veteran Services coordinate this effort, and the county submits grant applications for State of Florida Department of Children and Families funding as the lead agency.

To receive updates from Lee County Government, sign up for the newsletter here: www.leegov.com/resources/newsletters. Follow Lee County Government on Facebook, www.facebook.com/leecountyflbocc.

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