By The News Service of Florida
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday signed into law a $711 million plan to make housing more affordable for working Floridians. A priority of Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, the “Live Local Act,” will more than double funding for housing and rental programs, provide incentives for investment in affordable housing and encourage mixed-use developments in struggling commercial areas.
“As demand is high to move to a place like Florida, it makes it more challenging for folks to be able to afford,” DeSantis said during a bill-signing event in Naples. “I think this is the biggest effort that’s ever been done in the history of Florida.”
But the new law (SB 102) has drawn criticism from some groups because it will bar local rent controls and pre-empt local government rules on zoning, density and building heights in certain circumstances.
Passidomo, R-Naples, said the goal is to make it possible for people to afford to live in neighborhoods where they work. “Florida has attracted so many new people to move here. And that has just exacerbated the problem,” Passidomo said. “And we don’t have one solution to the problem. But the Live Local Act is an amazing, multifaceted, 106-page bill of ideas and suggestions on how we can provide affordable, safe housing for our workers.”
Among other things, the bill will create tax exemptions for developments that set aside at least 70 units for affordable housing and will speed permits and development orders for affordable-housing projects. The bill will provide money for a series of programs, including $252 million for the longstanding State Housing Initiatives Partnership, or SHIP, program; $150 million a year to the State Apartment Incentive Loan, or SAIL, program; and an additional $100 million for the Hometown Heroes program, which is designed to help teachers, health-care workers and police officers buy homes.
The state budget for the current year includes $362.7 million for affordable housing. The House on Friday voted 103-6 to approve the measure, after the Senate unanimously passed it on March 8.
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“Passidomo, R-Naples, said the goal is to make it possible for people to afford to live in neighborhoods where they work.”
MOST People Live with in 5 to 8 Miles from where they work, it is the Traffic and the screwed up Traffic Lights that make it seen farther away. On a good Day, at lunch time I can drive cross town From Tram Rd. at Cap. Circle to Piedmont at Thomasville Rd. in 20 Minutes. On a heavy Traffic day with to many slow poke phone users it takes 30 Minutes. It is not the distance to Work that is the Person’s problem, it is the LIFE CHOICES that is the Person’s problem. You choose to stay in School, Graduate, work hard, move up the ladder and you can move to the better areas of Town as you improve your wealth. It is up to you. The Government needs to step back and do an Audit on who is receiving Government Help and WHY. Many can be removed.
This is something a Democrat would do.
DeSantis is ok but he ain’t all that. Ron, even with my vote, you will loose the Republican primary even though you could beat Biden.
The problem is it is expensive to live in Florida and local politicians love raising property taxes. And the Gov’s answer is to help with rent prices
Rentals have their place but owning is the better choice.
I’m not sure government meddling in affordable housing was at all necessary. What happened to allowing the market to sort itself out without government interference/involvement?
And further more: I love our Govornor Desantis but “My Man” this was a Passidomo priority.
Yes the very same Passidomo who stuck a knife in some of your priorities this legislative session.
Personally if I was Govornor I would have denied Passidomo this victory for many sound and logical reasons. Not just for vengance on Passidomo for her shooting down some of my priorities but that would certinally get thrown on my “decision scale”. Well Govornor if you spank Passidomo in some other way I will not be sad or disapointed at all. Make her pay something Gov even if its just some small tokin spank.