The 2006 Florida Legislature passed HB 1363, a housing bill
focused on addressing some of the affordable housing challenges the State
currently faces. Florida Housing will continue to work with state and local
governments, the affordable housing stakeholder community and others who are
part of the state’s affordable housing delivery system to meet the goals
outlined in the bill.
In addition to HB 1363, the legislature also appropriated $243 million for
Florida Housing’s Affordable Housing Programs. This is a 26% increase
over program funding in 2005.
To review HB 1363 in its entirety, click here.
HB 1363 includes:
- $108 million for Hurricane Housing Recovery Programs
- This includes $93 million for the
Rental Recovery Loan Program and $15 million for farmworker and special
needs housing.
- $30 million for Extremely Low Income
(ELI)
The bill provides $30 million to help create affordable rental
housing targeted to extremely low income households — residents with incomes at
or below 30% of area median income. To ensure that minimum-wage persons are not
excluded from ELI units, a series of changes have been made to state and local
housing programs to provide incentives for the development of this housing.
Specifically, the bill allows forgiveness of loans for ELI units, provides
relief from leveraging requirements for ELI units, provides relief from loan to
ratio requirements for ELI units, provides that rents for ELI units are
restricted to corresponding levels in the Low Income Housing Tax Credit
Program, and other incentives.
- $50 million for the
Community Workforce Housing Innovation Pilot Program (CWHIP)
CWHIP will provide forgivable loans and incentives to affordable
rental and home ownership projects for essential service personnel affected by
the high cost of housing. The $50 million dollar appropriation is intended to
promote local public-private partnerships and leverage government and private
resources.
In addition, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
has provided the State with $83 million in Community Development Block Grant
funds to be used toward housing and other local community development priorities.
HB 1363 also does the following:
- requires local governments to prepare
an inventory list of surplus land that could be used for the development
of affordable housing;
- allows state surplus land to be used
for the development of affordable housing;
- authorizes school boards to provide
housing and housing assistance to its teachers and other instructional
personnel;
- makes renovations of elderly housing
more affordable by reducing match requirements;
- provides relief from paying certain
license and permit fees on housing for disabled veterans; and
- provides a homestead tax deferral for
low income seniors.