Housing update shows gains from Live Local Act, but affordability challenges linger in large counties
Several new real estate laws and regulations go into action in Florida today.

Real estate business growth graph
A change in law allowed construction of more working class housing, but market challenges remain.

Millions in state funding has been directed toward affordable housing through the Live Local Act. But state officials say rent and mortgage still eat up half the household budget for 1.4 million Floridians.

Officials from the Florida Housing Finance Corporation spoke to the Senate Community Affairs Committee about progress made since the passage of a landmark affordable housing bill, but also of challenges that remain in the rapidly growing state.

Since passage of the Live local Act, strides have been made in encouraging the development of attainable housing throughout the state, according to Marisa Button, Director of Multifamily Programs for the state agency. But she said not every factor impacting housing costs can be controlled by state government.

“We don’t do everything,” she said. “We’re the bank, so a lot of land-use issues, that doesn’t sit with Florida Housing. We’re doing the resource administration and we’re partners in the tax incentive programs that came through Live Local.”

But Button said the Live Local Act has allowed the state to enhance market options through the Hometown Heroes program, the State Apartment Incentive Loan (SAIL) program and other efforts. The SAIL program alone has allowed an investment of $150 million to establish mixed income developments and create space that can be used by more working-class families.

Lawmakers also received a report from Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) researching the impact of state and local housing efforts by governments throughout the state.

One of those reports identified the counties with the largest proportion of low-income and cost-burdened residents. It showed almost 40% of Miami-Dade residents fall into that category, as do 34% of Broward County denizens and 33% of Osceola County citizens.

Overall, the report found that State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) had a “positive impact on communities through assistance strategies that provide access to affordable housing for very low-, low-, and moderate-income families.”

The findings were cheered by the Sadowski Coalition, which has long advocated for the state to maintain full use of funds raised in the Sadowski Fund. Enacted in 1992, that trust dedicates revenue from document stamp taxes collected in real estate actions and dedicates it for affordable housing efforts.

“The Sadowski Coalition has long talked about how Florida is a leader in the nation with its successful State Housing Initiatives Partnership program, which the OPPAGA report shows,” said Mark Hendrickson, facilitator of the Sadowski Coalition and Executive Director of the Florida Association of Local Housing Finance Authorities.

“The SHIP program is flexible and can meet the changing needs and priorities of each community within the program framework, and it’s because of this that we can see it working in communities across Florida. Its success is also due to Florida’s Governor and lawmakers, who have continued to prioritize housing in the state and support this effective and efficient housing program by using all of Florida’s Sadowski housing trust to create housing that is affordable for Floridians.”

Senators discussed how the state can address housing with regional challenges in mind. How noted that the report showed the majority of those dedicated more than 40% of household income to housing live in seven populous counties: Broward, Duval, Hillsborough, Miami-Dade, Orange, Palm Beach and Pinellas.

“How do you prioritize the development?” Jones asked.

Button said the structure of Sadowski funding directs the most revenue to those counties with the highest costs. But officials noted simple supply and demand impact the housing market as well.

Jacob Ogles

Jacob Ogles has covered politics in Florida since 2000 for regional outlets including SRQ Magazine in Sarasota, The News-Press in Fort Myers and The Daily Commercial in Leesburg. His work has appeared nationally in The Advocate, Wired and other publications. Events like SRQ’s Where The Votes Are workshops made Ogles one of Southwest Florida’s most respected political analysts, and outlets like WWSB ABC 7 and WSRQ Sarasota have featured his insights. He can be reached at jacobogles@hotmail.com.


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