Are you behind in your mortgage payments and need help? The Florida Hardest Hit service may be able to help you. The program is funded by the U.S. Treasury. To qualify for assistance you must meet the following criteria:

An eligible homeowner:

• Must be a Florida resident;
• Must occupy property as primary residence (the property cannot be vacant, abandoned or rented);
• Borrower/co-borrower must be unemployed or underemployed through no fault of his/her own, which makes the first mortgage unaffordable;
• Must have documented total household income at or below 140% of the area median income (AMI), adjusted for household size;***
• Must have an active checking/savings account that can be debited by the ACH method of funds transfer;
• May not have unencumbered assets of $5,000 or more, or three times the current monthly mortgage payment (whichever is greater);
• Cannot have a bankruptcy that has not been discharged or dismissed; and
• Cannot have been convicted of a mortgage-related felony in the last 10 years.

• Must be serviced by a participating lender, who agrees to accept payments on behalf of the homeowner;
• Must not be more than 180 days past due at the time of application;
• Must have been originated on or before January 1, 2009; and
• Must have an existing principal balance of less than $400,000.

• Air
• Water
• Food
• Dispersants

SafeLink Wireless is a government supported program that provides a free cell phone and airtime each month to income eligible customers.

To Qualify:
The process to qualify depends on the State you live in. In general, you may qualify if...You already participate in another State or Federal assistance program such as Federal Public Housing Assistance, Food Stamps and Medicaid. Or your total household income is at or below 135% of the poverty guidelines set by your State and/or the Federal Government. And no one in your household currently receives service from another phone carrier. And you have a valid United States Postal Address. In order to receive your free phone you must live at a residence that can receive mail from the US Post Office. Sorry, but P.O. Boxes cannot be accepted. In addition to meeting the guidelines above you will also be required to provide proof of your participation in an assistance program, or proof of your income level.

You can enroll online at www.safelink.com . To apply you will need your address and social security number. If you exceed the free airtime (68 minutes in Florida), you can purchase additional minutes.

SAFELINK WIRELESS® service is a U.S. government supported program for income eligible households provided by TracFone Wireless, Inc. TracFone Wireless is America’s largest and number one prepaid cell phone provider in the U.S.

Neighborhood Stabilization Program

Communities in Florida, including Pasco County, recently received a Neighborhood Stabilization Program Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. These funds will be used to provide emergency assistance to state and local governments so they can purchase foreclosed properties that might be abandoned. These homes can be rehabilitated, resold, or redeveloped. For more information about this program in Florida communities-
http://www.hud.gov/local/index.cfm?state=fl

The Tampa Bay Community Development Corporation is a HUD-approved non-profit organization whose mission is to promote homeownership opportunities to low and moderate income households in the Tampa Bay, Florida area.
For more information visit:
http://www.tampabaycdc.org

The economy is affecting not only banking and Wall Street executives, but also the average citizen. TBO.com reported yesterday that "the call volume [to the Department of Children and Families' ACCESS Florida line] has risen to 120,000 a day, 40,000 more than a year ago. The number of Floridians using the program is up more than 20 percent statewide and more than 60 percent in some areas."

Do you think you could benefit from food stamps or Medicaid? You can apply online using the ACCESS Florida application.

The book closing date of Monday, October 6, 2008 for new Florida voter applicants and party changes is fast approaching for the General Election of Tuesday, November 4, 2008. You can access the forms you need at the Pasco County Supervisor of Elections website or pick up a voter registration form at any Pasco County library.

From the ACCESS Florida webpage:

The ACCESS Florida Applications will not be available on Thursday, August 28th from 8:00 p.m. until Midnight EST because we will be performing maintenance.

If you are working on an ACCESS application at 8:00 p.m., you will be able to log back into the application after the maintenance is complete - you must have the ACCESS Online Number and password created at the beginning of the process to finish your application.

If you are pre-screening to see if you might be eligible for benefits at 8:00 p.m., you may need to start over after the maintenance is complete.

If you are reporting a change at 8:00 p.m., you may need to start over after the maintenance is complete.

If you are using the Automated Response System to get information regarding the status of a recently completed application at 8:00 p.m., you may need to start over after the maintenance is complete.

If you are using the Platinum Community Partner link to get information regarding the status of a recently completed application at 8:00 p.m., you may need to start over after the maintenance is complete.

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum announced yesterday that the Price Gouging Hotline has been activated. Florida residents who suspect price gouging in the face of approaching Tropical Storm Fay should call the hotline at 1-866-9-NO-SCAM (1-866-966-7226). For more information, please refer to the Attorney General's website.

Here in Florida we have a wide variety of specialty license plates to choose from. Perhaps you would like to show your support of your favorite Florida sports team or support Florida's natural resources. Maybe you have very strong feelings about a particular social issue. Chances are, Florida has a license plate that reflects your interest. Check out the list on the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicle's website.

In case you are curious, for the 2007 Fiscal Year, the University of Florida license plate earned the most specialty plate revenue ($2,459,850.00). The Orlando Predators earned the least revenue ($50.00).

The State of Florida's Department of Environmental Protection is making it easier to report suspected environmental crime. Simply dial #DEP from your mobile phone to report an environmental crime.

From the State DEP's website:

What is an Environmental Crime?

Environmental crimes can cause harm to Florida’s environment and put people at risk. These crimes can be defined as the willful or negligent violation of any law or rule enacted to protect the environment or regulate the generation and disposal of waste. Some examples include the illegal disposal of hazardous waste, burning or burying prohibited materials, and unauthorized dredge and fill activity in wetlands.

Members of the Environmental Response Team are specially trained agents.

Violations of environmental laws may not always be obvious. Signs of violations may include:

• Containers or drums that appear to be abandoned (for example, you find them in a forest, along a roadside or otherwise in a place where it appears they do not belong), especially if they are corroded or leaking.
• Discolored and/or stressed, dying plant life.
• Visible sheens on the ground or in the water.
• Foul smelling or strange looking emissions into the air.

Citizens should also be aware of odd activities, such as:

• A truck dumping materials into a manhole or sewer drain.
• A truck unloading drums at odd hours or in odd places.
• A person burying drums on business or residential property.

You may be eligible for additional unemployment compensation above and beyond the usual 13 weeks. Check out the Agency for Workforce Innovation's article to find out more, or visit their website at www.fluidnow.com.

The Florida Legislature recently passed a law called the "Preservation and Protection of the Right to Keep and Bear Arms in Motor Vehicles Act of 2008". Curious as to whether this applies to you or your place of business? Check out the full text of the law via this link:
Ch_2008-007.pdf (application/pdf Object)

Do you need help with the ACCESS Florida online application? Try their online tutorial. It is based on the old application, but the content (what you need to apply, etc.) is the same.

If you are in the Suncoast Region (DeSoto, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas and Sarasota Counties) and you want to go to a brick-and-mortar DCF office, you can find a listing of DCF service center locations here. If you need general information or information about the status of your application, you can try the automated telephone service at 1-866-76ACCESS (1-866-762-2237).

Do you have children but no health insurance for them? Perhaps you are unemployed, self-employed, or you just can't afford to add children to your employer's insurance plan.

Florida KidCare may be the answer for you! Florida KidCare provides health insurance coverage for uninsured children under 19 years of age. Eligibility is based on your child's age and your household income. Enrollment is open year-round.

According to the DCF website, the ACCESS Florida website will be changing as of February 29, 2008.

What does this mean for you if you are a DCF customer? You will need to make sure you have an electronic signature on file with DCF prior to February 29, 2008. Any applications that are not electronically signed by that date will need to be resubmitted.

The St. Petersburg Times this morning reported that Governor Crist has announced the launch of a new statewide prescription drug discount plan (read the St. Pete Times article here).

According to the article, eligible citizens will include people under 60 years old who fall under 300% of the federal poverty level who do not have prescription drug coverage; people over the age of 60 with no drug coverage, regardless of income; and people covered under Medicare Part D who have reached the initial coverage limit, or "doughnut hole".

ENROLL ONLINE or by calling 1-866-341-8894 or TTY 1-866-763-9630.

According to this press release, Governor Crist is moving his "open government" initiative forward in part by partnering with Google to make more state government information available via the popular search engine. State agencies whose records were formerly hidden from the search engine will now be more accessible.