Grant-in-aid program.

(1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS.—The Legislature finds and declares that many services for households experiencing homelessness have been provided by local communities through voluntary private agencies and religious organizations and that those resources have not been sufficient to prevent and end homelessness in the state. The Legislature recognizes that the level of need and types of problems associated with homelessness may vary from community to community, due to the diversity and geographic distribution of the homeless population and the resulting differing needs of particular communities.

(2) PURPOSE.—The principal purpose of the grant-in-aid program is to provide needed assistance to continuums of care to enable them to do all of the following:

(a) Assist persons in their communities who have become, or may likely become, homeless.

(b) Help homeless households move to permanent housing as quickly as possible.

(3) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a grant-in-aid program to help continuums of care prevent and end homelessness, which may include any aspect of the local continuum of care plan, as described in s. 420.6225.

(4) APPLICATION PROCEDURE.—Continuums of care that intend to apply for the grant-in-aid program must submit an application for grant-in-aid funds to the State Office on Homelessness for review.

(5) SPENDING PLANS.—The State Office on Homelessness shall develop guidelines for the development, evaluation, and approval of spending plans that are created by local continuum of care lead agencies.

(6) ALLOCATION OF GRANT FUNDS.—The State Office on Homelessness shall administer grant-in-aid funds for continuums of care, which must be awarded on a competitive basis.

(7) DISTRIBUTION TO LOCAL AGENCIES.—The State Office on Homelessness shall distribute funds awarded under subsection (6) to local agencies to fund programs that are required by the local continuum of care plan, as described in s. 420.6225 and provided in subsection (3), based upon the recommendations of the local continuum of care lead agencies, in accordance with spending plans that are developed by the lead agencies and approved by the office. Not more than 10 percent of the total state funds awarded under a spending plan may be used by the continuum of care lead agency for staffing and administrative expenditures.

(8) LOCAL MATCHING FUNDS.—If an entity contracts with local agencies to provide services and receives financial assistance obtained under this section, the entity must provide at least 25 percent of the funding necessary for the support of project operations. In-kind contributions, including, but not limited to, materials, commodities, transportation, office space, other types of facilities, or personal services may be evaluated and counted as part or all of the required local funding, at the discretion of the State Office on Homelessness.