"The building in question is owned by the city, which rents space to Compass Community Center, South Florida's longest-running LGBTQ+ nonprofit. The organization has said that the repairs are necessary to keep the building safe and functional, and to comply with accessibility requirements."
"According to the Post, the county's deputy housing and economic development director, Carlos Serrano, cited Florida's S.B. 1134 when he told city public works director Jamie Brown in an April 24 email that the county could not approve federal HUD funding for the project."
"But as Compass noted in a statement last week, S.B. 1134 does not take effect until 2027. The organization also questioned why the law was being applied to a municipal infrastructure request filed by the City of Lake Worth Beach for money that would not fund Compass' programming."
"Lake Worth Beach Commissioner Sarah Malega told the Post that she was 'appalled, but not shocked' by the funding denial."
Palm Beach County officials have reinstated funding for repairs on a city-owned building housing an LGBTQ+ community center, which was previously denied due to Florida's anti-DEI law. The city of Lake Worth Beach requested over $300,000 in federal grant funding for essential repairs. The county's deputy housing director cited the law as the reason for the denial. However, the Compass Community Center argued that the law does not take effect until 2027 and questioned its application to the funding request.
Read at LGBTQ Nation
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