DeSantis Cuts South Florida Senior Projects as Florida Budget Vetoes Top $800 Million
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis cut $2.2 million in South Florida senior-related projects from the new state budget, including $500,000 for the Age Well Project, according to Florida Politics and the Governor’s official veto list.
The Age Well veto appears in the Department of Elder Affairs section of the state’s 2026 veto list. The same document also lists vetoes for several other senior-focused projects, including nutrition access, elderly meals, senior center improvements, hospital-transition support and senior mental-health programming.
DeSantis signed the FY 2026–27 budget Monday while vetoing more than $800 million from a $114.5 billion spending plan, according to News Service of Florida reporting published by NBC 6 South Florida.
The policy consequence is straightforward: local senior programs that expected one-time state funding may now have to scale back, delay services or find replacement money. That could matter most for low-income and homebound seniors who rely on community programs for meals, transportation, in-home support or help avoiding institutional care.
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The vetoes also create a contrast inside the same budget. DeSantis’ office said the final spending plan includes broader statewide senior investments, including $73.1 million for the Alzheimer’s Disease Initiative and $131 million for Community Care for the Elderly and Home Care for the Elderly.
That means the story is not simply that Florida cut senior spending across the board. The sharper issue is how the Governor separated statewide recurring elder-care priorities from local nonrecurring projects requested through the legislative budget process.
What happens next depends on local providers and lawmakers. The Legislature could revisit vetoed projects in a future budget cycle, while affected organizations may seek county, city, donor or grant funding to replace the money removed from the state spending plan.
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