Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster
A Senate bill filed this week would create a task force to address the state’s affordable housing needs.
The bill (SB 854), filed Friday by Sen. Jeff Brandes, would create an affordable housing task force assigned to the Florida Housing Finance Corp. According to the St. Petersburg Republican’s proposal, the task force would be charged with “developing recommendations for addressing the state’s affordable housing needs.”
With an another 5 million people expected to be living in Florida by 2030, Brandes said he filed the bill because he thinks there needs to be discussion about how the state approaches workforce housing and affordable housing going forward.
“There really isn’t a statewide direction for affordable housing,” said Brandes.
The proposal calls for a 10-member board made up of the executive director of the Department of Economic Opportunity, or her designee; two members appointed by the Governor, two members appointed by the Senate President; two members appointed by the House Speakers; the executive director of the Florida Association of Counties, or a designee; the executive director of the Florida League of Cities, or a designee; and the executive director of the Florida Housing Finance Corp., who will serve as the board chairman.
Members of the task force will not be compensated, but would receive per diem travel expenses as spelled out under state law.
The goal, Brandes said, is to “take a holistic view” of affordable and workforce housing.
According to his proposal, the committee would be tasked with making a recommendation that includes reviews of market rate developments; affordable housing developments; land use for affordable housing developments; building codes for affordable housing developments; states’ implementation of the low-income housing tax credit; private and public sector development and construction industries; and rental market for assisted rental housing.
The bill also calls on the task for to develop “strategies and pathways for low-income housing.” The report must be submitted to the Governor, Senate President and Speaker of the House by Jan. 1 2018.
A companion bill has not yet been filed in the Florida House.
