The Division of Housing Services mission is: To efficiently and responsibly administer programs and develop community partnerships that preserve and grow the inventory of safe and sanitary affordable housing in unincorporated Leon County (Tax Code 2).
The Division's major programs are income driven and include owner-occupied rehabilitation, home buyer counseling, down-payment assistance, and emergency repairs. Most of our programs are funded through the State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) program.
CARES Act Funding
On June 26, 2020, the Governor directed CARES Act funding of $250 million for rental, mortgage and other assistance to individuals impacted by COVID-19. The Florida Housing Finance Corporation is working to formulate how the funds will be disbursed as well as the processes and requirements related to how funding will be expended by Leon County and other participating local governments. Guidance from the Florida Housing Finance Corporation is expected in the coming weeks.
As soon as more details are available regarding the availability of the funds, we will post additional information on this website. Please check back for future details.
Florida Housing Finance Corporation's press release regarding the funds: CARES Act Press Release.
Affordable Housing Rental Search
If you are looking for assistance in locating affordable rental properties please click HERE and search your desired location by city, county or zip code. This search tool also allows you to see the search results on a map or a list.
2020-2021 State Housing Initiative Partnership Funds
On June 29, 2020, some of the State of Florida's budget was vetoed by the Governor of Florida. The veto includes the estimated allocation of $1,080,633 in State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) funds to Leon County for the 2020‐2021 fiscal year. The veto allows the funds to stay in the Local Government Housing Trust Fund and means those funds have not been swept. As such, the previously advertised application window for 2020‐2021 fiscal year funding is no longer applicable. The Leon County Division of Housing Services will continue to take applications for existing programs (described below this section) until funding is no longer available.
Rental Assistance Program
On May 12, 2020 the Leon County Board of Commissioners established the Rental Assistance Program, which will be funded by the additional $36,092 in State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) allocated by the State of Florida for the 2019‐2020 fiscal year borne out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
To be eligible for SHIP Rental Assistance, an applicant household must qualify as income eligible (gross income of 80% of area median income or less), have a lease equivalent to 12 months and the landlord must be willing to accept payment from the County and stop any eviction actions to be eligible. Other eligibility criteria may apply. The maximum assistance that will be provided to eligible households will be the lesser of $2,000 or two months of rent.
Due to the limited funding available for SHIP Rental Assistance, Leon County will leverage SHIP funds with existing emergency assistance programs (Direct Emergency Assistance Program and the Veteran Emergency Assistance Program) offered by the County.
IF YOU ARE A VETERAN AND YOU NEED ASSISTANCE WITH PAST DUE RENT OR UTILITY PAYMENTS, PLEASE VISIT THE VETERANS SERVICES WEBSITE: LEON COUNTY VETERANS SERVICES
IF YOU ARE A NOT VETERAN AND YOU NEED ASSISTANCE WITH PAST DUE RENT OR UTILITY PAYMENTS, PLEASE VISIT THE DIRECT EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE SERVICES WEBSITE: LEON COUNTY DIRECT EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE SERVICES
If you live inside City limits (Tax Code 1) and owe more than the rent limits for the above programs ($400 & $500) you should inquire with the City of Tallahassee for additional assistance.
Applications for SHIP Rental Assistance will be accepted through the VEAP & DEAP programs until a sufficient number have been received to expend allocated SHIP funds. A waitlist will not be created once funds are expended.
Rent and utility assistance may be available through our community partners.Please review their contact information on the Emergency Assistance Resources list.
Short Term Emergency Housing Repairs
The Short Term Emergency Repairs Program assists low-income homeowners living in the unincorporated areas of Leon County short term-assistance to buy time for the homeowner to identify a permanent solution to their housing repair needs. The program provides grant assistance to address a dire situation and/or prevent further damage to the home. The most common emergency repairs are tarps for leaking roofs and emergency pump-outs of failing septic systems. The Short Term Emergency Repairs Program is NOT intended to be a permanent fix.
Funding for this program for Fiscal Year 2019-2020 has been established at $50,000. The application period will begin on October 4, 2019 and will continue until enough eligible households are identified or served to exhaust the funds. Funds will be awarded on a first qualified first served basis.
If you live inside City limits (Tax Code 1) please contact the City of Tallahassee for emergency repairs.
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO APPLY FOR SHORT TERM EMERGENCY REPAIRS
Emergency Housing Repair & Housing Resilience
SHIP Funds will be awarded to applicants in need of rehabilitation of their home related to a dire situation that needs to be mitigated immediately via a short term and/or permanent repair. This includes: damaged roofing that is leaking, damaged windows causing exposure to the elements, electrical, plumbing or septic problems that could cause damage to the home or to remediate an immediate health hazard to the occupants. SHIP funds will also be awarded to applicants to protect and prepare the home’s resilience to the impact of a future disaster.
If you live inside City limits (Tax Code 1) please contact the City of Tallahassee for emergency repairs.
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO APPLY FOR EMERGENCY HOUSING REPAIR & HOUSING RESILIENCE
Down Payment Assistance
Two sources of down payment assistance are available and are administered by the Tallahassee Lender’s Consortium (TLC) on behalf of the Leon County Housing Services Division.
THE FUNDING FOR DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE HAS BEEN FULLY EXHAUSTED.
Until additional funding is made available, down payment assistance may be available through a partnership between the Leon County Housing Finance Authority (Leon HFA) and the Escambia County Housing Finance Authority Contact the Escambia HFA at a participating lender to learn more about the program.
Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation
Due to the high number of homeowners already waiting to receive assistance, the Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation Program is NOT accepting applications at this time and the waiting list is closed. Check this website for updates.