January 14, 2022

District 6 Update

Good morning from our nation's Capitol! This morning I am in Washington, D.C., and will be meeting with representatives from the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and the U.S. Department of Transportation to discuss the federal infrastructure bill and the upcoming budget proposal from the President.

I was also in Tallahassee this week for the Legislative Session and Palm Beach County Day. It was a busy week advocating for the County's legislative agenda and District 6 priorities. I held numerous meetings with members of our Legislative Delegation. I met with legislative leadership on helping us complete the Corbett Levee. I met with Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Nikki Fried to discuss food, water, and COVID-19 response issues. I also met with Attorney General Ashley Moody to discuss sober home, juvenile diversion, and reentry policies, and Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Kevin Thibault to discuss rural roads. Throughout the session, I'll continue pushing for District 6 appropriations and combatting local preemption bills.

One bill I want to highlight is SB 760, Human Trafficking. This legislation, sponsored by Sen. Lori Berman, raises the crimes of maintaining a house of prostitution and transporting a person for the purpose of prostitution from misdemeanors to second-degree felonies. It furthermore expands the definition of "coercion," including adding alcohol to the list of substances which, when provided to a person for the purpose of exploitation, constitutes coercion. Since fighting human trafficking is one of my top priorities, I spoke in support of the bill during its first hearing at the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice where it passed unanimously.

I'll continue updating you on matters affecting District 6 as the Legislative Session progresses.

Palm Beach County's 50th Fire Rescue Station

On Jan. 7, 2022, I joined County Mayor Robert Weinroth, Vice Mayor Gregg Weiss, Commissioner Mack Bernard, Fire Rescue Chief Reginald Duren, fire rescue personnel, and residents at the official ground-breaking ceremony for a new fire station in Boynton Beach. The new station, the 50th in Palm Beach County, has been a collaborative effort between the county and community to ensure compatibility with the surrounding neighborhoods while providing the life-saving protection our community expects.

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue is one of the largest fire departments in the state of Florida, and the department responds to emergencies of all kinds including fires, medical emergencies, car accidents, hazardous materials, plane crashes, and chemical spills. In addition to responding to emergencies, the department is dedicated to educating the public through community presentations such as fire extinguisher training, car seat installation, and basic first aid.

Fire stations are located throughout Palm Beach County covering 1,761 square miles, providing services to almost 900,000 residents.

L - R: Commissioner McKinlay, Vice Mayor Gregg Weiss, PBC Fire Rescue Chief Reginald Duren, Mayor Robert Weinroth, Commissioner Mack Bernard

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:

Jan. 14 & 21 (Fridays) 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. (two sessions)

Jan. 24 & 25 (Monday and Tuesday) 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. (two sessions)

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:

Jan. 18 (Tuesday) 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. (one session)

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.

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

Grocery Card Program

The Palm Beach County Community Services Department (CSD) has launched a new Grocery Card Program for eligible Palm Beach County residents. The department is issuing $400 pre-loaded grocery cards to be used for food purchases within the county. The program will end when the funding source has been depleted.

To qualify, at least one or more individuals within a household must meet the following criteria:

· Qualifies for unemployment or experienced a reduction of household income, or incurred significant costs, or experienced other financial hardships due to COVID-19; and,

· Has not received a food card in the past from Palm Beach County Community Services Department; and,

· Has a household income at or below 200% Federal Poverty Guideline (FPG).

All participants must be able to provide documentation to prove they were impacted financially by the COVID-19 crisis. Applications must be submitted online; this program is a limited-time offer and is subject to funding availability.

For a full list of eligibility requirements and to apply, visit www.FoodAssistancePBC.org.

For additional information, please contact the CSD’s Contact Center at 561-355-4700.