Palm Beach Post | July 3, 2015
As you read this, property values, home prices and apartment-rental rates are on the rise in Florida — and, in some areas, are starting to skyrocket.
While this is good news for Florida’s economy — as well as the housing market, which has been limping toward recovery since the bubble burst back in 2007 — it is a bad omen for those looking for an affordable place to live.
More than 920,000 very-low-income households, including hardworking families, the elderly, veterans and disabled Floridians living on fixed incomes, are forced to spend more than 50 percent of their incomes on housing. Florida also has the nation’s third-highest homeless population, which includes 5,500 veterans and more than 7,000 families, including more than 10,800 children.
Fortunately, this legislative session, the Florida Legislature took a positive step toward closing these disparities by appropriating $175 million from Florida’s housing trust funds toward affordable housing. This funding level constitutes approximately 68 percent of the $256 million total that was available from the Sadowski Trust Fund.
On behalf of the 30 statewide organizations that constitute the diverse Sadowski Coalition, I applaud the Florida Legislature for passing a budget that appropriates these funds to help Florida’s economy, as well as Floridians in need of housing. I thank both the Senate and House leadership for their support of affordable housing during this legislative session.
The affordable-housing crisis cannot be solved overnight. But we can help thousands of families move into affordable housing every year. We also can assist Florida veterans, the elderly, those with special needs and those living on fixed incomes to remain in their homes every year.
The Sadowski Coalition looks forward to working with both the Senate and House, as well as Gov. Rick Scott, toward fully funding affordable housing during the 2016 legislative session.
JAIMIE ROSS, TALLAHASSEE
Editor’s note: Jaimie Ross is facilitator of the Sadowski Coalition and president of the Florida Housing Coalition.
Article last accessed on July 5, 2015 here.
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