Programs & Incentives

The Serving Our Seniors (SOS) Program is designed to provide temporary assistance for critical needs to low income elderly residents in the city of West Palm Beach. The Program will assist seniors in the event of an emergency and/or financial hardship for eligible activities.

This program provides one-time financial assistance to seniors over the age of 62, not to exceed $600.00 in order to provide resources such as:

• Utility assistance;
• Reimbursement of the City's Fire Assessment Fee; and
• Handicapped accessibility.

The Program will only support the costs not covered by any other programs providing duplicate services and/or resources.

Should you desire to apply for the program, please contact the Community Services Division at (561) 804-4970 (TTY: 800-955-8771).

The Housing Stabilization Program is designed to provide a one-time financial assistance to families and individuals, who are residing or homeless in the city limits of West Palm Beach, gain or maintain housing stability. This program targets two populations of persons facing housing instability:

• Families or individuals who are still housed within City limits but are at imminent risk of becoming homeless and;
• Homeless families or individuals in the city limits of West Palm Beach and seeking housing to remain within city boundaries

Should you desire to apply for the program, please contact the Community Services Division at (561) 804-4970 (TTY: 800-955-8771).

The Homeward Bound Program offers individuals who have been chronically homeless in the City of West Palm Beach the opportunity to reunite with their families back home.

Procedures include meeting all requirements such as: legal identification including government issued photo identification, personal interview, clearance of all warrants or court probation, and funding availability.

For more information about the program, please contact the Community Services Division at (561) 804-4970 (TTY: 800-955-8771).

IMPORTANT: This program is only available to housing developers. Individual residents, homebuyers, and prospective homebuyers are not eligible to apply for assistance through this program. The City of West Palm Beach does not currently offer a home purchase assistance program that is open to the general public.

In order to maintain economic and social vibrancy in the City of West Palm Beach, it is important for the City to support an attainable supply of housing at all income levels. To achieve that goal, the City's Department of Housing and Community Development works with housing developers to preserve and stimulate the production of affordable and workforce housing units for low- and moderate-income households.

The Developer Housing Assistance Incentives Program supports housing developers in the development of affordable and workforce housing. It does not provide down payment assistance, closing cost assistance, home purchase assistance, or other direct financial assistance to individual homebuyers.

Eligible development incentives and resources may include:

• Fee reductions and waivers of development fees;

• Loans and grants to leverage private and other public investment in housing development;

• Use of City-owned vacant lots;

• Resources that support the development of homeownership, rental, rehabilitation, sustainability, and special-needs housing opportunities; and

• Use of existing City infrastructure and services.

To the maximum extent possible, the City will leverage its resources to support the development of affordable and workforce housing units using a combination of federal, state, and local funding sources.

Eligibility: Applications for this program are accepted from eligible housing developers only. Individual residents and prospective homebuyers should not apply.

Housing developers interested in incentive opportunities should contact Lucy Joseph, Housing and Community Development Program Coordinator, at LJoseph@wpb.org.