GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In a push to make help more accessible for Floridians in need, Gov. Ron DeSantis is adding a community resource liaison for the Hope Florida program to every sheriff’s office in the state.
“Our law enforcement officers are uniquely positioned to assist people in their communities,” DeSantis said when he made the announcement at a press conference in Tallahassee on Tuesday, joined by first lady Casey DeSantis.
Casey DeSantis established Hope Florida in 2021 as a program with the Florida Department of Children and Families that connects Floridians to private sector groups, faith-based organizations, nonprofits and government entities for social, economic and child care assistance.
Its work is intended to transition people from government dependency to self-sufficiency, the governor said, by moving them toward existing community resources. Both the governor and the first lady emphasized faith-based communities in particular as untapped, overlooked sources for assistance.
According to the governor, over 118,000 Floridians have been referred to Hope Florida since it launched in 2021. Over the same period, 30,000 Floridians have either completely eliminated or reduced their reliance on public assistance, he said.
“At the end of the day we want to help people who are suffering and they do not know where to turn,” Casey DeSantis said, citing an example of a single mother who became a licensed medical professional after Hope Florida connected her to workforce and educational opportunities.
Hope Florida is a model not only for the state of Florida but for the nation, the first lady said.
Hours after Gov. DeSantis and Casey DeSantis defended the program, a Senate committee passed a bill that would codify Hope Florida within the governor’s office. The proposal, sponsored by Sen. Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills, must pass through two more Senate committees before it faces a full vote in the Senate.
Sen. Tina Scott Polsky, D-Boca Raton, was the only senator on the committee who voted against the bill, citing concerns about the program’s potential overlap with others in the state, as well recent reports from a House bill analysis revealing Hope Florida’s charity arm has failed to file its tax returns or respond to audits.
“It just makes me uncomfortable that what we’re trying to do today is codify this organization that has not been following state law up to this point,” Polsky said during the meeting.
The bill follows increasing speculation about whether Casey DeSantis will succeed her husband in a bid for Florida governor as Gov. DeSantis hits his term limit. The first lady has yet to confirm whether she plans to run against Byron Donalds in the 2026 election.
___
This is a breaking news story. Check back in case there are further developments. Contact WUFT News by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news@wuft.org.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
