Our top priority is to make sure up-to-date & important information is easily accessible to our community. Take a look at the current available resources.
Health | Nutrition | Financial Assistance |Housing | Additional Resources
Vaccinations are free. Appointments are required at to the sites.
Vaccination Site
For a complete list, click here https://www.broward.org/CoronaVirus/Pages/Vaccination-Sites.aspx
COVID-19 Vaccine: How to Build Trust & Expand Access in the Latino Community
Free COVID Vaccines – Walk-in
- Location: Broward College North Campus, Omni Auditorium – 1000 Coconut Creek Blvd, Coconut Creek, 33066 (see campus flyer)
- Hours of Operation: 7 days a week, 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM
- Eligibility: Florida residents 65 years of age or older or health care workers with direct patient contact.
- Site Type: This is a walk-up location. Appointments are not required, however, they are encouraged.
- Hotline: For additional information or to pre-register for an appointment please call (954) 559-8321.
UNIDOS US has created a video to answer the following 3 questions about the COVID-19 vaccine:
- 1. Where can I get the vaccine?
- 2. Can I get the vaccine if I’m undocumented?
- 3. Can I get the vaccine if I don’t have health insurance?
To help ensure the health and wellness of our community during the COVID-19 pandemic, Broward Health is extending FREE walk up testing for our community. Click here for more information. They are dedicated to caring for you and safeguarding our community.
Henderson Behavioral Health
Henderon Behavioral Health is open and providing mental health services 24/7. Keeping safety and physical distancing in mind, committed to being available to serve individuals in the office, by telephone or through various video-health technologies. During these uncertain times, it is especially important to keep in touch with family members, friends and colleagues who may have behavioral health conditions. Human connection, even from afar, is so important. If you or a loved one are in need of support, please call 954-606-0911.
Memorial Healthcare System: See a trusted doctor from your computer or mobile device
MemorialDOCNow lets you visit a doctor from the comfort of home. For more information, please click here.
Broward Health is extending mobile, drive-through testing for our community
Broward Health opened its mobile testing unit in Pompano Beach. The mobile testing site will allow 300 registered patients to drive through daily and be swabbed for COVID-19 from their cars.
To be tested, patients must pre-register for scheduled appointment times. No walk-ups or drive-ups can be screened or tested. To schedule a time to be tested, patients must have a written script from a physician and then call the Broward Health line at (954) 320-5730 to register. Once scheduled, patients will receive a confirmation number.
Photo ID, the written prescription for COVID-19 testing and the patient’s confirmation number are required at the mobile testing site to be swabbed and tested. Test results will be sent to the prescribing physician, who will then alert the patient of their status.
Medicaid/Florida Kidcare, ACA, Health Insurance
For questions or concerns, please email Mario Negron at mnegron@hispanicunity.org and Eduardo Pineda at epineda@hispanicunity.org or call (954) 329-5263 with clients’ information, including name and telephone number. Mario/Eduardo will contact you to schedule an appointment and you will be assisted remotely via phone or email.
Emotional Support Helpline
Florida Blue launched a 24-hour, free emotional support helpline for all Floridians, in partnership with New Directions Behavioral Health. Any Floridian – even if uninsured or insured by another plan – can call 833-848-1762 for support in managing feelings of stress, anxiety, grief or fear related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Feeding South Florida is providing food to help families and individuals in Broward and other counties in South Florida. For more information, visit their website here. Submit a request (Register yourself or provide a referral)
Distribution Dates (NOTE: This changes frequently and may have cancellations.)
Online Purchasing Pilot – SNAP
On April 14, the Florida Department of Children and Families announced Florida will pilot a program for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients to purchase groceries online with the use of an EBT card. SNAP participants are automatically eligible to participate in this program and do not need to apply.
As of April 21, both Walmart and Amazon online purchasing will be available throughout Florida. Click here for FAQs.
SNAP Application Assistance
For questions or concerns, please send an email to infosnap@hispanicunity.org with your information, including name and telephone number. You will be contacted to schedule an appointment and you will be assisted remotely via phone or email.
Area Agency on Aging of Broward County
Seniors age 60 and up who are in need of food resources can request a frozen meal delivery to their residence at no cost. Those who are currently not receiving any food through meal programs or normally have meals at a congregate meal site that is closed can qualify for this service.
- Phone: 954-745-9779
- Website: adrcbroward.org
Economic Impact Payments
The IRS is committed to helping you get your Economic Impact Payment as soon as possible. The payments, also referred to by some as stimulus payments, are automatic for most taxpayers. No further action is needed by taxpayers who filed tax returns in 2018 and 2019 and most seniors and retirees.
Non-Filers: Enter Your Payment Info here
Filers: Get Your Payment Info here
Economic Impact Payments The IRS has started sending payments to taxpayers. The tool to check your payment status is now available.
- Most people won’t need to take any action
- Do not call
Check on the status of your Economic Impact Payment
FDIC, NCUA Offer Guidance to Banks and Credit Unions
As early as March 9, the FDIC encouraged financial institutions to help meet the needs of those customers and members affected by the coronavirus. Click here to see a list of banks offering relief to customers affected by COVID-19. If your bank or credit union is not listed, please visit their website or call their customer service number to learn what options are available.
In Broward County you can take your completed Reemployment Assistance applications to any FEDEX store and they will mail it to DEO.
You will receive a tracking number which will tell you whether the application was delivered. We are advising to file by paper and online.
Florida Reemployment (Unemployment) Assistance Paper Application: Click here for English | Click here for Spanish | Click here for Creole
Please note that paper applications could potentially take longer to process than completing an online application. Click here to complete the online application for Reemployment (Unemployment) Assistance.
You can send an email to inforeemploy@hispanicunity.org with your information and you will be contacted as soon as possible.
Florida Unemployment Benefits
The Re-employment Assistance program provides temporary and partial wage replacement for qualified workers who have become unemployed, through no fault of their own, during this public health emergency. You can apply online for Re-employment Assistance (formerly known as unemployment compensation) if you were working in Florida and are now:
- Temporarily unable to work due to a positive COVID-19 test result.
- Quarantined by a medical professional or a government agency.
- Laid off or sent home without pay for an extended period of time because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Caring for an immediate family member diagnosed with COVID-19.
All claims in Florida must be completed online. The process should take approximately 30-60 minutes to complete. Once your claim is filed, you will receive a confirmation notice that your claim has been received. If your claim is accepted, it will take three to four weeks to receive your first payment.
A rough estimate of expected benefits would be half of an individual’s previous full-time wages, up to a maximum of $275 per week. Typically, Re-employment Assistance lasts up to 26 weeks or until employment is found.
To learn more, click here.
To submit a claim now, click here.
Student Loans
The U.S. Department of Education has granted a payment waiver of at least 60 days to many people, according to a news release. All borrowers with federally held student loans will automatically have their interest rates set to 0% for a period of at least 60 days. All federal student loan servicers have been directed to grant an administrative forbearance to any borrower with a federally held loan who requests one. The forbearance will be in effect for a period of at least 60 days, beginning on March 13, 2020. To request this forbearance, borrowers should contact their loan provider online or by phone.
Visit https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/coronavirus.
Broward County Human Services Family Success Administration Division
Description: Programs includes Rent/Mortgage and Utility Assistance, Homeless Prevention Services, and Family Success Centers.
10077 NW 29th Street, Coral Springs, FL, 33065
(954) 357-5000
Contact Hours:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 8 AM-5 PM
Tuesday and Thursday: 8 AM-5 PM (Mandatory Orientation)
Hope Outreach Center
Description: Utility and rent assistance. Client must live in Broward County. Must have a 3-day notice for rent or utility assistance. The client can only get financial assistance once per year. To apply, call Hope Outreach Center; they will email an application, and make an appointment.
4700 SW 64th Avenue, #A, Davie, FL 33314
(954) 321-0909 EXT 2
Taxes
The US tax-filing deadline has been postponed to May 15th.
The IRS will waive interest and penalty charges for 90 days for Americans who owe up to $1 million in taxes. For more information, please contact Anamaria Ceballos at aceballos@hispanicunity.org or call (954) 618-7284.
Download rental assistance programs in Broward
Assistance equates to a partial payment of rent. For months one and two of the owed rent amount the rental assistance program will pay, and the landlord must agree to, 75% of the amount due. For months three, four and five of rent assistance , the program will pay, and the landlord must agree to, 60% of the amount due. Late fees, if any, will not be covered by the program.
Payments are made to landlords, therefore if a landlord is not willing to complete the documents, the tenant will not be eligible for assistance.
Broward County’s Family Success Division is managing the application process and will approve and distribute funds until depleted.
Application Period Opens August 31
The application period is Monday, August 31 through Sunday, September 6, 2020, from 8AM to 10PM daily. Applications may be submitted online only, at Broward.org/CARES. A computer is not necessary, and the application can be completed on a smartphone or tablet. No in-person applications will be accepted.
Because applicants are required to attach significant amounts of substantiating documentation, residents who believe they are qualified are encouraged to begin today to collect documentation required for the online application process. The application must be completed in one sitting and cannot be partially completed, saved or returned to at a later time. For a complete list of documentation, visit Broward.org/CARES
EVICTION MORATORIUMS IN FLORIDA
Several protections are in place to prevent evictions in Florida and across the country. However, these policies don’t forgive the rent you may owe, that’s why Floridians are fighting for further relief to #CancelRent and mortgage payments. Your landlord cannot make you leave your home without a court order. If an eviction is filed against you, contact an attorney or your local legal aid organization right away. To read more, click here
CARES Act
HUD is working to provide Mortgagees and Borrowers with additional Loss Mitigation Home Retention Options due to the COVID-19 National Emergency, clarify requirements around these options, and fully implement the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
The Loss Mitigation Options in ML 2020-06 are part of this broader effort. Anticipated financial impacts of COVID-19 for Borrowers include:
- Wage reductions,
- Job losses or interruptions,
- Inability to work for various reasons such as a lack of telework options or childcare, and
- Contracting COVID-19 directly or caring for a family member that contracts the virus
COVID-19 National Emergency Forbearance
If a Borrower is experiencing a financial hardship negatively impacting their ability to make on-time Mortgage Payments due to the COVID-19 National Emergency and makes a request for a forbearance, the Mortgagee must offer the Borrower a forbearance, which allows for one or more periods of reduced or suspended payments without specific terms of repayment.
• The Mortgagee may utilize any available methods for communicating with a Borrower regarding a forbearance to meet these requirements.
• Acceptable methods of communication regarding a forbearance include, but are not limited to, emails, texts, fax, teleconferencing, websites, or sending out a general communication advising Borrowers that forbearance is granted provided the Borrower emails a request or calls their Servicer.
No documentation is required to prove financial hardship due to the COVID-19 National Emergency. Mortgagees must offer Borrowers experiencing financial hardship due, directly or indirectly, to the COVID-19 National Emergency a COVID-19 Forbearance, regardless of delinquency status, upon borrower request.
- The initial forbearance period may be up to 6 months. If needed, an additional forbearance period of up to 6 months must be approved by the Mortgagee.
- The term of either the initial or the extended forbearance may be shortened at the Borrower’s request.
- The Mortgagee must waive all Late Charges, fees, and penalties, if any, as long as the Borrower is on a Forbearance Plan.
Homeowners
For homeowners facing challenges making mortgage payments, it is imperative that they reach out to their loan providers as soon as possible. One option is forbearance, which would put off or temporarily reduce mortgage payments and extend the repayment periods. Click here.
Fannie Mae loans: click here | FreddieMac loans: click here
Foreclosures and Evictions
FHA Suspends Foreclosures and Evictions Amid COVID-19 National Emergency
The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) published Mortgagee Letter 2020-04, “Foreclosure and Eviction Moratorium in Connection with the Presidentially-Declared COVID-19 National Emergency,” which announces an immediate foreclosure and eviction moratorium for all FHA-insured single family mortgages for a 60-day period. For more information, please click here.
Renters
Miami-Dade police announced Thursday that officers would not assist with evictions during the emergency declared by Mayor Carlos Gimenez for the coronavirus pandemic.
The agency said it has temporarily suspended all eviction activities until further notice. The action means officers won’t assist landlords in removing tenants or serving court papers, freezing evictions until further notice.
“The only ones that can follow through on eviction orders is us,” said police spokesman Alvaro Zabaleta. “From this point forward, those papers and those orders will not be processed.” Read more here.
Comcast – Free Internet Service for Eligible Households
Low-income families in Comcast service areas who sign up as new customers can receive complimentary internet through 06/30/2021.
To get Internet Essentials, please visit www.internetessentials.com/covid19 or call toll-free 1-855-846-8376.
This offer is not available in stores, so please do not go to a Comcast store for this program.
- Comcast will send all new customers a self-installation kit including a cable modem and Wi-Fi router. There will be no term contract or credit check and no shipping fee.
- The accessible website also includes the option to video chat with customer service agents in American Sign Language.
- After 12/31/20, families will need to call Comcast to cancel the service, or keep it for $9.95/month.
Who qualifies for this service?
- All students enrolled in Title I schools. Please see the list at bit.ly/2IQncxB
- Families enrolled in HUD Housing and/or Free or Reduced lunch programs
- Families currently receiving support from these federal programs must provide proof of participation:
For questions please visit internetessentials.com or call 1-855-846-8376 for English or for Spanish, 1-855-765-6995.
Verizon
Verizon will waive late fees that any residential or small business customers incur because of their economic circumstances related to the coronavirus through June 30, 2020. In addition, they will not terminate service to any residential or small business customers because of their inability to pay their bills due to disruptions caused by the coronavirus. Learn more here.
FPL
Florida Power and Light will suspend service cut-offs over overdue bills through June 30, 2020 as the state reels from sizable chunks of its economy shutting down during the coronavirus epidemic.
hufsafety.org 