Santa Rosa County, home to Milton and a string of Gulf-side communities like Navarre and Gulf Breeze, shares its DCF service center with neighboring Escambia County in Pensacola. Housing assistance, however, is handled locally by the Milton Housing Authority.
Assistance available in Santa Rosa County
🛒 SNAP Food Stamps
SNAP provides monthly food benefits on an EBT card. Florida households generally qualify with gross income at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level, with deductions for housing, child care, and medical costs for elderly or disabled household members reducing countable income further.
Santa Rosa County applicants apply through ACCESS Florida online, by mail, or in person at the Brent ACCESS Storefront in nearby Pensacola, which also serves Escambia County.
🩺 Medicaid
Florida Medicaid income limits vary sharply by category — children and pregnant women qualify at higher income levels than parents or other adults, since Florida has not expanded Medicaid under the ACA. Seniors and people with disabilities may qualify through separate long-term care pathways with different rules.
Santa Rosa County Medicaid applications are processed through the Brent ACCESS Storefront (Escambia Co.), or online via ACCESS Florida.
🏠 Housing Assistance
The Milton Housing Authority, located at 5668 Byrom Street, Milton, manages public housing and rental assistance for Santa Rosa County.
Waitlists for Section 8 vouchers commonly close for extended periods due to high demand. Check directly with the housing authority for current waitlist status before assuming a program is unavailable.
💵 Cash Assistance (TCA)
Temporary Cash Assistance provides monthly payments to families with children under 18 (or under 19 if a full-time high school student). Households must have countable assets at or below $2,000, and adults face a lifetime limit of 48 months of benefits with work or job-training requirements unless exempt.
Santa Rosa County TCA applications go through the Brent ACCESS Storefront (Escambia Co.) and the ACCESS Florida system, same as SNAP and Medicaid.
Santa Rosa County contact information
Brent ACCESS Storefront (shared with Escambia County)
33 Brent Lane, Suite 103, Pensacola, FL 32503
Santa Rosa County does not have its own DCF storefront — the nearest service center is in Pensacola.
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (call ahead to confirm)
Statewide Contact Numbers
ACCESS Customer Call Center: 1-850-300-4323
General DCF/SNAP helpline: 1-866-762-2237
Elder & disability long-term care (Medicaid): 1-800-963-5337
Florida Relay (deaf/hard of hearing): 711
How to apply for benefits in Santa Rosa County
- Create an ACCESS Florida account at myflorida.com/accessflorida to apply for SNAP, Medicaid, or Temporary Cash Assistance online.
- Gather documents — photo ID, proof of income (pay stubs or benefit letters), proof of residency, and Social Security numbers for household members.
- Complete the interview — most applications include a phone interview with a DCF caseworker serving Santa Rosa County.
- For housing assistance, contact Milton Housing Authority directly — this is a separate application from ACCESS Florida.
- Watch for your decision and renewal notices — most certification periods last 6–12 months, and DCF mails a renewal reminder before they expire.