Bill Sponsors & Coalition Thank Governor for Recommending Full Funding & Call on Legislature to Take Advantage of Opportunity to Create Jobs, Positively Impact Economy
Tallahassee, Fla. – Sponsors of legislation – Senate Bill 306 and House Bill 381 – to stop the sweep of funds set aside for affordable housing today gathered alongside the Sadowski Coalition, which is made up of 32 diverse statewide organizations, including industry and business groups; advocates for the elderly, veterans, homeless and special needs; and faith-based organizations, at a press conference to stress the importance of using all money in the state and local housing trust funds for affordable housing – for Fiscal Year 2020-2021.
In addition to stressing to the Florida Legislature the importance of using all state and local housing trust fund monies for housing, the Sadowski Coalition, along with bill sponsors, State Senators Debbie Mayfield (R-Rockledge) and State Representative Sam Killebrew (R-Winter Haven), thanked Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for fully funding the Sadowski state and local housing programs in his proposed budget.
“On behalf of the Sadowski Coalition, I want to thank the Governor and the sponsors of these bills for their leadership in using the housing trust funds as intended to house Florida’s workforce and most vulnerable residents,” said Jaimie Ross, facilitator of the Sadowski Coalition, and president and CEO of the Florida Housing Coalition. “By using the housing trust funds for housing, it will create more than 30,000 jobs and more than $4.4 billion in positive economic impact in Florida. The Sadowski trust funds are dedicated for this purpose and not needed to balance the budget.”
“There’s a sense of pride in owning your own home, and that’s what this program provides people and their family — a sense of pride of owning their own home knowing that they have a place to go to every single day when they come home from work, when they come home from school,” said Senator Mayfield, who is a sponsor of SB 306. “It’s vital to Floridians and it’s also vital to Florida’s economy, which is why I decided to again file legislation to stop the practice of using the affordable housing trust fund for purposes other than affordable housing. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate and in the House to put a stop to the normalization of sweeping these funds.”
“Miami-Dade’s housing crisis has been exacerbated by the sweep of over $18 million dollars per year,” said Senator Taddeo, who is a sponsor of SB 306. “This hurts our workforce and our seniors living on fixed incomes, and it makes no sense that the Florida Legislature would fail to use trust funds dedicated for housing for that purpose. I intend to work with Senator Mayfield and leadership in the Senate this year to break the tradition of sweeps, and fully fund Florida’s housing programs.”
“With my constituents and in my community, I’ve seen the great need we have for affordable housing – and I know that’s also being felt statewide,” said Representative Killebrew, who is a sponsor of HB 381. “Trust funds that are needed, like the Housing Trust Funds, should be used for their intended purpose. Housing should not be a partisan issue. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House and Senate to set a new precedent for the affordable housing trust funds.”
“Statewide data confirms the critical and ongoing challenge of providing housing in the state,” said Ron Lieberman, incoming chair of the Florida Housing Finance Corporation (Florida Housing) Board of Directors. “Florida Housing is grateful to Governor DeSantis for supporting the Sadowski Coalition’s position on using all the housing trust funds for Florida’s housing programs. Florida Housing continues to facilitate the development of affordable housing for individuals and families across the state and addressing the states’ growing affordable housing needs; which is why the resources from the Legislature are so important.”
“The Florida Chamber of Commerce recognizes that affordable housing is important for Florida families and our state’s economy,” said Christopher Emmanuel, Director of Infrastructure and Governance Policy, Florida Chamber of Commerce, which is a member of the Sadowski Coalition. “That’s why we’re uniting the business community for good and working to ensure that the Sadowski Trust Funds are an important part of that solution.”
The Sadowski Coalition is a diverse collection of 32 statewide organizations, including industry groups, such as the Florida Realtors and FHBA; business groups, including AIF and the Florida Chamber; advocates for affordable housing providers, including the Florida Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials; low-income advocates, including the Florida Coalition for the Homeless and Florida Legal Services; advocates for the elderly and veterans, including Florida AARP and Florida Veterans Foundation; and faith-based groups, including the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops, Florida Impact and Habitat for Humanity.
For more information on the Sadowski Coalition, please visit SadowskiCoalition.org or follow @SadowskiFL.
