The Contract Management unit (or "Contracts") supports community-based, nonprofit agencies in delivering social service programs to meet diverse human service needs in Lee County. The unit manages grants and contracts to ensure services are delivered in accordance with Federal, State, and Local funding regulations and requirements. The goal of the unit is to ensure that appropriate services are provided to Lee County residents, and that agencies are in compliance with contract provisions.
The unit manages funds from a variety of sources including: the Board of County Commissions (BOCC) allocation from the general revenue budget, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Children and Families (DCF), the Florida State Office on Homelessness (SOH), and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Lee County will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities in its services, programs, or activities. To request an auxiliary aid or service for effective communication or a reasonable modification to participate, contact Joan LaGuardia, (239) 533-2314, ADArequests@leegov.com or Florida Relay Service, 711. Accommodation will be provided at no cost to the requestor. Requests should be made at least five business days in advance.
Este aviso público está relacionado a los fondos del Departamento de la Vivienda y Desarrollo Urbano de los Estados Unidos. Traducción del aviso pueden ser solicitados llamando al 533-7930. (This public notice is regarding funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Translation of the notice may be requested by calling 533-7930.)
Please use Google Chrome as the internet browser to view this page. Use the translator in the upper right of the page to select the language of your choice.
Lee County will provide translated documents at no charge to you.
Por favor use el navegador de Internet Google Chrome para ver esta página. Use el traductor en la parte superior derecha de la página para seleccionar el idioma que prefiera. El Condado de Lee le proporcionará documentos traducidos sin costo para usted.
Tanpri itilize navigatè Entènèt Google Chrome nan pou wè paj sa a. Itilize tradiktè ki anwo adwat paj la pou chwazi lang ou prefere a. Konte Lee pral ofri dokiman ki tradui san sa pa koute w anyen.
Lee County received federal funding in 2008 and 2010 to promote homeownership opportunities in the County. |
Consolidated Plan
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires all communities to prepare a Consolidated Plan if they receive annual formula grants. Lee County receives three formula grants totaling more than $3 million from HUD: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnership, and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG).
The Consolidated Plan covers a five-year period and provides strategies to address housing, homeless and community development needs. Funds are used for a variety of public service and infrastructure projects and for programs administered by a number of government, nonprofit and private agencies including the City of Bonita Springs, City of Sanibel, Village of Estero and the Town of Fort Myers Beach.
The 2024-2028 Consolidated Plan covers the period of October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2028.
The 2024-2028 Consolidated Plan is now available.
The 2024-2028 Consolidated Plan has been submitted to HUD. At the same time the Consolidated Plan is submitted, a Five-Year Environmental Review is also submitted.
Lee County hosted several community meetings and public hearings to gather public input for upcoming strategic plans. Comments gathered at the meetings were considered in the development of the 2024-2028 Consolidated Plan, 2024 Annual Action Plan, 2019 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice, and 2019-2021 Community Services Block Grant Strategic Plan.
Annual Action Plan
An Annual Action Plan is done for each of the five years to detail specific projects that will meet these goals. At any time, the Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plans can be amended. At the end of each funding year, a Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) is submitted to HUD, which provides a summary of which goals specified in both the Consolidated Plan and the Annual Action Plans were met.
The Annual Action Plan, CAPER, as well as HUD responses to the CAPER, are all posted on this page when they are completed for the public’s review and comment. These documents can be made available in alternative accessible formats upon request.
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Lee County receives Community Service Block Grant(CSBG) and Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding from the Florida Department of Commerce. For more information for applying for these funds, please see the Get Assistance page.
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The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program is a flexible program that provides communities with resources to address a wide range of unique community development needs. Beginning in 1974, the CDBG program is one of the longest continuously run programs at HUD. The CDBG program provides annual grants on a formula basis to local governments and states to develop sustainable communities by providing decent housing, a suitable living environment and opportunities to expand economic opportunities, principally for low and moderate-income persons.
Community development activities build stronger and more resilient communities through an ongoing process of identifying and addressing needs, assets and priority investments. CDBG activities may include acquisition and or disposition of property, construction and improvements to public facilities, public services, housing rehabilitation, homeownership assistance, and economic development activities. 2023 Program Year Funding
CDBG Housing Delivery
| $250,000
| CDBG Owner Rehabilitation/Reconstruction
| $400,000
| CDBG Urban County Bonita Springs
| $277,999
| CDBG Urban County Estero
| $134,004
| CDBG Urban County Sanibel
| $28,073
| CDBG Urban County Fort Myers Beach
| $50,000
| CDBG Program Administration
| $250,035
| CDBG Neighborhood Public Services
| $450,000
| CDBG Non-Profit Capital Improvements
| $1,020,000
| CDBG Homeownership Assistance
| $225,000
| Total 2023 CDBG Allocation:
| $3,085,111
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Lee County has launched a strategic initiative to enhance and transform its Behavioral Health System of Care with funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR).
Through a competitive process, Third Horizon, LLC was selected to lead the planning of the Behavioral Health System of Care which began in September 2024 and will extend over 18 months. A comprehensive roadmap will form the foundation for the system’s future implementation. The planning will unfold over four phases.
Timeline of Planning Stage
Review Phase 1 Report Here:
Phase 1 involves a thorough assessment of Lee County's behavioral health system.
Key Components
- Review of Existing Documentation
- Strategic plans
- Needs assessments
- Other relevant data sources
- Analytical Methods
- Literature review
- Secondary data analysis
- Qualitative Data Collection
- Key informant interviews
- Focus groups
- Community engagement meetings
Phase 2 Report: Coming Soon, estimated completion Summer 2025
Phase 2 entails conducting an in-depth analysis of the initial findings and recommendations to address identified issues.
Key Components - System Capacity Enhancement
- Addressing capacity issues
- Enhancing service access
- Operational Improvements
- Minimizing duplication of services
- Bridging gaps in services
- Strategic Focus Areas
- Addressing financial and regulatory concerns
- Define measurable outcome metrics
Phase 3 Report: Coming Soon, estimated completion Winter 2025
Phase 3 will focus on developing an implementation plan for the Behavioral Health System of Care.
Key Components - Centralize Access
- Implementation plan for Single-Entry Point model
- Simplify access to care
- Community Engagement
- Increase community awareness of new system
- Data Management
- Establish framework for ongoing data collection and analysis
- Financial Planning
- Develop initial budget for start-up of system
- Develop sustainability plan for the system
Phase 4 Report: Coming Soon, estimated completion Spring 2026
Phase 4 will conclude with the creation of a comprehensive report summarizing all findings, recommendations and a final plan to improve behavioral health services and access across Lee County. This initiative is funded by $10 million allocated for implementation through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR).
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The Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program is a flexible program intended to support services and activities for individuals with low-income. The goals of the program include the reduction of poverty and revitalization of low-income communities. The program does not provide direct grants to individuals, but rather provides services and assistance to empower households to become self-sufficient.
Lee County receives CSBG funds through the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. As a requirement for the receipt of these funds, Lee County completes an annual CSBG workplan to outline community needs and the programs intended to address those needs. The 2019 workplan includes the following projects:
- Homelessness Prevention and Intervention
- Financial Literacy
- Employment Services
Community Needs Assessment
Lee County Human and Veteran Services completed a
community needs assessment June of 2019. The analysis is used to conduct strategic planning and work plan development for the use of CSBG funds. The work plan includes a community profile and data for poverty, education, health and safety, special populations, housing, civic and community engagement. This data is used to identify anticipated needs of Lee County for future program development.
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The
HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) provides grants to states and local governments to fund a wide range of activities including:
1. building, buying and/or rehabilitating housing for rent or homeownership; or
2. providing direct rental assistance to low-income families.
It is the largest Federal block grant program for state and local governments designed exclusively to create affordable housing for low-income households. HOME funds are awarded annually as formula grants to participating jurisdictions (PJs).The program’s flexibility allows states and local governments to use HOME funds for grants, direct loans, loan guarantees or other forms of credit enhancements, or rental assistance or security deposits.
Community Housing Development Organizations
At least 15 percent of HOME funds must be set aside for specific activities to be undertaken by a special type of nonprofit called a Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO). A CHDO is a private nonprofit, community-based organization that has staff with the capacity to develop affordable housing for the community it serves. In order to qualify for designation as a CHDO, the organization must meet certain requirements pertaining to their legal status, organizational structure, and capacity and experience.
Information on becoming a CHDO, including Organization Checklist:
2023 Program Year Funding
HOME Project Delivery (10% Cap)
| $105,000
| HOME Non-CHDO Housing Development
| $825,673
| HOME CHDO (15% Minimum)
| $165,000
| Total 2023 HOME Allocation
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$1,095,673 |
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The
Emergency Solutions Grants Program (ESG) focuses on assisting people to quickly regain stability in permanent housing after experiencing a housing crisis and/or homelessness. Grant funds are distributed by formula to metropolitan cities, urban counties, territories and states for street outreach, emergency shelters, homelessness prevention and rapid re-housing assistance.
The ESG program provides funding to: engage homeless individuals and families living on the street, increase the number and quality of emergency shelters for individuals and families experiencing homelessness, rapidly re-housing individuals and families experiencing homelessness, and provide essential services to promote housing stability.
2023 Program Year Funding
ESG Program Administration (7.5% cap)
| $20,000
| ESG Street Outreach
| $56,288
| ESG Rapid Re-Housing - Human and Veteran Services
| $200,000
| Total 2023 ESG Allocation
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$276,288 | |
Federal Funding
Lee County Human and Veteran Services serves as the Collaborative Applicant to compete on a national level for Homeless Continuum of Care (CoC) funds through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The application includes over $1.7 million in requests for renewal projects and new requests for projects (when available) that address the needs of Lee County’s homeless. Funds support programs for permanent housing, emergency shelter, and services for the homeless are provided to non-profit partner agencies.
2023 Continuum of Care Funding Cycle
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) competitive Continuum of Care (CoC) funding cycle began in July 2023. The Performance, Evaluation and Ranking Committee reviewed and ranked applications on September 1, 2023.
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