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The Department of Children and Families has sent $174,000 originally slated to be spent for administering federal homeless money to seven counties. The money will be used to keep families in their homes. DCF Secretary David Wilkins says he was able to keep the money in the field by reviewing how the agency administered the funds.

“The homeless grant money, the way the federal program works, is that goes to the community organizations,” Wilkins said. “So our focus is get as much of that money to the communities as we can. And what we did in that exercise is really what costs can we take out of the administrative function of how we administer that program, so really all that money can get down to local programs. So I was really pleased that we were able to accomplish that.”

The money is going Kids Central, which serves Citrus, Hernando, Lake and Sumpter counties, and to the Okaloosa Walton Continuum, serving those two panhandle counties.