February 18, 2022

District 6 Update

The latest report from the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner's Office on Total Reported Drug Deaths shows a troubling statistic: there were 54 drug deaths in our County in January of this year, a 23% increase from the same month last year. We must remain vigilant against this overdose epidemic, which is now being fueled by fentanyl. The Drug Enforcement Agency states that two out of every five counterfeit pills containing fentanyl contains a lethal dose. Advocacy and education on the evolving nature of the overdose epidemic is paramount.

Palm Beach County remains in a strong place to address the epidemic. We continue to strengthen our coordinated recovery-oriented system of care centered upon evidence-based practices and mental health services. The Addiction Stabilization Unit at JFK Medical Center North is available for those seeking help. We've established peer support services and a syringe exchange program to promote harm reduction.

To learn more about the County's efforts, visit here. To find programs and resources to combat substance use disorder, visit here and here.

2022 January Total Drug Related Death Monthly Report.jpg

John Hundley Agricultural Hall of Fame Induction

I want to congratulate John Hundley, the founder of Hundley Farms, on his induction into the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame! John has been an institution in the Florida agricultural community for decades. A native of Pahokee, I appreciate all John has done for the Glades, and I wish him and his family much continued success.

Alyssa Sangeeta Jacobson Scholarship

Friends of Youth Services and Palm Beach County, Inc. has announced the call for applications for the 2022 Alyssa Sangeeta Jacobson Scholarship. The scholarship opens on February 1 and will close on March 31, 2022.

The Alyssa Sangeeta Jacobson Scholarship is dedicated to those who need a little extra assistance in achieving educational goals. The scholarship provides $1,000 per year, distributed over two semesters to each recipient, and is renewable for up to four years, depending on the degree or certificate program.

The scholarship is open to graduating high school seniors and high school graduates who will attend an accredited college or technical vocational school beginning in Fall 2022. Currently enrolled college, technical, or vocational students are also encouraged to apply. Enhanced consideration will be given to applicants who are members of Future Leaders United for Change or involved in the dependency or delinquency systems.

For more information on the scholarship and the application criteria, please visit http://pbcgov.com/ysd-scholarship or contact Geeta-Loach Jacobson, Director of Outreach and Community Programming of Palm Beach County Youth Services, at 561-242-5713.

The scholarship is in memory of Alyssa Sangeeta Jacobson. Alyssa was committed to living a self-sufficient life and discovering her passions. Her determination to pursue education, earning undergraduate and graduate degrees, enabled her to live consistent with those commitments. She hoped others could have support to achieve their goals.

PBC Cooperative Extension to Offer Workshop for First-Time Homebuyers

Are you thinking about purchasing a home? Learn about the steps to homeownership and how to obtain an affordable mortgage in Palm Beach County (PBC) by attending the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension First-Time Home Buyer workshop. The class is provided by the Palm Beach County Cooperative Extension, a local agency approved by Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

The course is HUD-approved and is an 8-hour, pre-purchase, homebuyer workshop that meets the homebuyer education requirement for workforce housing and down payment assistance programs. Participants must attend two 4-hour sessions or one 8-hour session for successful completion of the 8-hour program.

Classes are $10 per individual/couple. A scholarship is available to those who qualify. The sessions are offered online via Zoom in English and Spanish.

To purchase tickets, visit https://homebuyered.eventbrite.com

Workshop Dates in English:

Feb. 18 & 25 (Fridays) 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. (two sessions)

Feb. 17 & 24 (Thursdays) 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. (two sessions)

March 18 & 25 (Fridays) 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. (two sessions)

Workshop Dates in Spanish:

Feb. 8 & 15 (Tuesdays) 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. (two sessions)

For more information, please contact Cyndi Longley at clongley@pbcgov.org or 561-233-1744.

District 6 COVID-19 Testing Sites

Lakeside Medical Center, 3200 Hooker Highway, Belle Glade 33430. Mon - Sat, 9 am - 4 pm. No appointments needed. Walk-ups welcome. Any age. No cost.

C.L. Brumback Health Center, 38754 State Road 80, Belle Glade 33430. Mon, Thurs, & Friday, 8 am - 4:45 pm. No appointments needed. Walk-ups welcome. Any age. No cost.

Commons Park, 11600 Poinciana Blvd, Royal Palm Beach. Mon & Fri, 9 am - 5 pm. Wed, 12 pm - 5 pm. No appointments needed. No cost.

Wellington Village Hall Parking Lot, 12300 Forest Hill Blvd. Mon - Sat, 8:30 am - 8 pm. Appointments may be booked through www.curative.com. No cost.

Wellington Green Park, 2175 Wellington Green Drive. Mon - Fri, 8 am - 5 pm. Drive-thru. No appointments necessary. No cost.

For a full list of sites throughout the County, visit here.

Press Release!

Housing Rehabilitation Assistance

Palm Beach County’s Department of Housing and Economic Development (HED) has announced the availability of American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) Owner Occupied Housing Rehabilitation assistance funds for Fiscal Year 2021-2022.

Funding will assist income eligible homeowners, residing in the unincorporated area of Palm Beach County, with substantial rehabilitation to correct code violations or items that will soon become a code violation. Properties MUST be located within a federally designated Qualified Census Tract (QCT). Properties located outside of a QCT, may not be eligible to apply for assistance. NOTE: Applicant must provide a statement on how their household was financially impacted by COVID. PROPERTY’S ASSESSED VALUE CANNOT EXCEED $352,371.

ARPA Owner Occupied Housing Rehabilitation Program applications will be available online by visiting the website at https://pbcgov.com/HED beginning Monday, January 24, 2021 at 8:00am – Monday, February 28, 2022 at 11:59pm (or until 90 applications have been submitted). Applications will be processed on a first submitted, first qualified, first served basis, subject to funding availability. NOTE: Additional program information and required documents needed for application submittal are available on the website at pbcgov.com/HED.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: ALL applicants are required to attend a Virtual Mandatory Orientation prior to application submittal. Interested parties may register at https://survey.pbcgov.com/s3/HED-Owner-Occupied-Housing-Rehabilitation beginning Monday, December 13, 2021. NOTE: Applications will not be reviewed if proof of orientation attendance is not provided.

For additional information, please contact:

Palm Beach County Department of Housing and Economic Development (HED)

Mortgage and Housing Investments Division

Telephone: (561) 233-3600

Email: HEDverify@pbcgov.org