SB0236 • 2026

Rental Assistance for Veterans

Housing

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Smith
Last action: 2026-03-13
Official status: Senate - Died in Community Affairs
Effective date: 2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about the exact rules for implementation or the number of veterans expected to apply.

Rental Assistance for Veterans

This bill creates a program to provide grants up to $2,000 to help low-income veterans who have been honorably discharged with security deposits and rent.

What This Bill Does

Creates the Veterans’ Rental Assistance Grant Program to provide financial support for eligible veterans.
Authorizes the Florida Housing Finance Corporation to give one-time grants of up to $2,000 to help pay for security deposits and first month's rent.
Sets requirements that applicants must meet, including being honorably discharged from a U.S. military branch and having an income at or below 140% of the area median income.
Requires proof such as a DD-214 form or other acceptable documentation to prove eligibility.
Gives the Florida Housing Finance Corporation the power to make rules for how the program will work.

Who It Names or Affects

Low-income veterans who have been honorably discharged from any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces and live in Florida.
The Florida Housing Finance Corporation, which is responsible for managing the grant program.

Terms To Know

DD-214 form: A document issued by the military to veterans at the time of their discharge that shows details about their service and status.
Area median income: The middle point of household incomes in a specific area, used as a reference for determining eligibility based on income level.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill did not pass the final stages and died in the Community Affairs committee.
It is unclear how many veterans will apply or receive assistance under this program.
The exact rules for implementation have yet to be determined by the Florida Housing Finance Corporation.

Bill History

2026-03-13 Senate
• Died in Community Affairs
2026-01-13 Senate
• Introduced
2025-11-03 Senate
• Referred to Community Affairs; Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development; Fiscal Policy
2025-10-17 Senate
• Filed

Official Summary Text

Rental Assistance for Veterans; Creating the Veterans’ Rental Assistance Grant Program; authorizing the Florida Housing Finance Corporation to provide certain grants to eligible applicants for a specified purpose, etc.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Florida Senate
-
2026

SB 236

By
Senator Smith

17-00068-26 2026236__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to rental assistance for veterans;
3 creating s. 420.54, F.S.; providing legislative
4 findings; creating the Veterans’ Rental Assistance
5 Grant Program; authorizing the Florida Housing Finance
6 Corporation to provide certain grants to eligible
7 applicants for a specified purpose; providing
8 eligibility requirements for the program; authorizing
9 rulemaking; providing an effective date.
10
11 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
12
13 Section 1. Section 420.54, Florida Statutes, is created to
14 read:
15
420.5
4

Veterans’ Rental Assistance Grant Program
.—

16
(1) The Legislature finds that:

17
(a) Honorably discharged veterans have earned and deserve

18
the highest level of social welfare support.

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(b) Honorably discharged veterans deserve reasonable access

20
to housing.

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(c) Some honorably discharged veterans are only able to

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secure housing through renting.

23
(d) Lower-income, honorably discharged veterans may not

24
have the financial means to provide a security deposit and first

25
and last month’s rent, which many landlords require before

26
issuing a lease.

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(e) Providing rental assistance for eligible honorably

28
discharged veterans would help eliminate barriers to housing.

29
(2) The Veterans’ Rental Assistance Grant Program is

30
created to provide security deposit assistance for low-income,

31
honorably discharged veterans.

32
(3) The Florida Housing Finance Corporation is authorized

33
to provide one-time grants under the program from funds of the

34
corporation in amounts up to $2,000 to eligible applicants for

35
the purpose of assisting in the payment of security deposits for

36
rental housing.

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(4) To be eligible to receive a rental assistance grant

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under this section, a person must meet all of the following

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requirements:

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(a) Be an honorably discharged veteran of a branch of the

41
United States Armed Forces. A DD-214 form i
ssued at the time of

42
separation
is required as proof of honorable discharge from a

43
branch of the United States Armed Forces. However, if a DD-214

44
form is not available,
other documentation may be acceptable if

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recognized by the United States Department of Defense or the

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United States Department of Veterans Affairs
, as determined by

47
the Florida Housing Finance Corporation.

48
(b) Be a resident of this state. A Florida driver license

49
or Florida identification card is required as proof of

50
residency.

51
(c)

Have an annual household income that is
at or below 140

52
percent of the area median income.
Annual household income must

53
be verified in the manner required by the Florida Housing

54
Finance Corporation, which may include background checks and a

55
review of documentation such as bank statements and W-2 forms.

56
(d) Apply to the Florida Housing Finance Corporation in the

57
manner prescribed by the corporation.

58
(5) The Florida Housing Finance Corporation may adopt rules

59
to implement this section.

60 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.