The Community Assistance Division assists residents of Seminole County with services that provide stability within the community. This Division consists of two sections: The Veterans' Services Program and the Housing & Financial Assistance Program.
The Board of County Commissioners (BCC) allocates general revenue funds to the Community Services Department for Veteran Services. The Veteran Services program provides quality supportive services, information and advocacy to enhance the health and economic well-being of veterans, their families and survivors residing in Seminole County. The Community Assistance Division has Veteran Services Officers located in their office to assist veterans' and their families with benefit claims, transportation, employment, education, property tax exemption, and burial.
Community Service Agency Partnership Program (CSA) The mission of the CSA Partnership program is to improve the quality of life for Seminole County residents by collaborating with community based organizations through a funding initiative to meet the human services needs within the County. The CSA Partnership Grant program was initiated by the Board of County Commissioners to address human service needs in Seminole County. Seminole County has an extensive history of partnerships with local non-profit agencies to benefit and improve the quality of life for residents. It is deemed to be in the best interest of the citizens of Seminole County that funds be made available to establish partnerships with non-profit agencies who serve the community’s social interests and needs. Therefore, it is the intent of this program to assist agencies that provide essential and supportive services such as food, clothing, shelter, health care, child care, education and transportation for those in need within the County.
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Prevention Assistance The Board of County Commissioners (BCC) allocates general revenue funds to the Community Services Department annually to assist eligible low and moderate income households with financial assistance who are experiencing a financial hardship and need assistance with paying their rent or mortgage and utility bills.
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Dental Assistance – The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) allocates Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) dollars to the County annually to assist eligible low income households. A portion of these dollars are used for public services through the Community Assistance Division. CDBG Public Service funds are used to assist uninsured low income households with dental services such as: extractions, fillings, dentures, partial dentures, root canals, crowns, x-rays, sedation and consultation.
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Training Scholarship and Day Camp Scholarship Assistance The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) allocates Community Assistance Block Grant (CSBG) dollars to the County annually to assist eligible low-income households in attaining the skills, knowledge and motivation necessary to achieve self-sufficiency. The Financial Assistance program provides training scholarships to assist eligible clients whose income is at or below 125% of the Federal Poverty Level with tuition, books, and training supplies. The Day Camp Scholarships assist school age children with summer camp tuition that will allow low income children the opportunity to attend a summer camp who might otherwise be unavailable to them.
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Rental Security & Utility Deposits – The Florida Housing Finance Corporation (FHFC) allocates dollars to the County annually for the purpose of helping their residents obtain safe, decent affordable housing that might otherwise be unavailable to them. Rental Security & Utility Deposit assistance is funded through the State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) Program to assist low income individuals/families that are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless as a result of their inability to pay rental security and/or utility deposits.
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Water and Sewer Utility Assistance – The Good Neighbor Fund is a program offered by Seminole County Environmental Services Department. The Water and Sewer Division receives donated funds from County residents for this program. The donated funds are available to unincorporated Seminole County households experiencing a financial hardship and need assistance with paying their water & sewer bill. Referrals are received from the Department of Environmental Services, Water and Sewer Division.
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HCRA (Health Care Responsibility Act) Chapter 154, Florida Statutes, mandates that each county, through its Board of County Commissioners, assumes financial responsibility for reimbursing out-of-county participating hospitals for emergency services provided to indigent county residents.
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Indigent Care Hospital Contract In 1980, Central Florida Regional Hospital and Seminole County Government, through its Board of County Commissioners, entered into a contractual agreement. County assumes financial responsibility for reimbursing Central Florida Regional Hospital for medical services provided to uninsured indigent county residents.
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Burial/Cremation Program Chapter 406, Florida Statutes, mandates that each county, through its Board of County Commissioners, assumes financial responsibility for the disposition of any indigent, unclaimed or unidentified bodies if the death occurs in Seminole County. Burials are done in the county cemetery for unclaimed and unidentified bodies. Current payments for Burials are $950.00 adult, $600.00 child, and $400.00 for all cremations.
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Rent and Supportive Services Seminole County is funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) through the Central Florida Continuum of Care (CoC) to provide rental assistance and supportive services for chronically homeless households through the Shelter Plus Care (S+C) program. This program is designed to link hard-to-serve homeless households to rental assistance and supportive services.
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Seminole County Homeless Prevention Program (SCHP)-Seminole County Government through its Community Assistance Division, has allocated approximately $1.4 million to assist homeless Seminole County households. Assistance available to qualified households is rental assistance for short term (up to 7 months) to medium term (up to 21 months), one time utility assistance, and emergency housing vouchers. The program is closed at this time.
