December 4, 2015 | The Florida Time Union
Letter to the Editor, Jaimie Ross
Florida has become the nation’s toughest state for renters with California and New York close behind.
According to the recently released “Make Room” report by Enterprise Community Partners, Florida has the largest share of renters — 31 percent — who spend more than half of their income on housing.
They are one paycheck or one crisis away from homelessness.
But Florida has some good news.
Florida has the Sadowski State and Local Housing Trust Funds, a dedicated revenue source that funds affordable housing programs and is the envy of the nation.
The housing market is again heating up. With the increase in housing prices comes an increase in the amount of money available for appropriation for Florida’s housing programs.
The Florida Legislature has the opportunity to appropriate nearly $324 million in state and local housing trust funds during the 2016 legislative session.
These funds would create more than 32,000 jobs and more than $4.6 billion in positive economic impact in Florida.
SHIP, the local housing trust fund, has a proven track record for flexibility and accountability.
SHIP is in all 67 counties and in larger cities, so that all income-eligible Floridians, from those living on fixed incomes to those of moderate means, have access to programs that provide responsible housing assistance.
The Sadowski Coalition is a collaboration of more than 30 diverse statewide organizations, including business interests, industry groups, faith-based organizations and advocates for the elderly and special needs populations.
These constituencies ask the Florida Legislature to use all the housing trust fund money for housing. That means no diversion or sweeping of those monies for other purposes.
Florida has the best model for funding and producing affordable housing in the nation. It’s time to use Florida’s housing trust funds for the benefit of Floridians in need of a home, including hardworking families, the elderly, veterans and disabled Floridians living on fixed incomes. Florida cannot afford to miss this opportunity. Home matters.
Jaimie Ross, CEO of the Florida Housing Coalition, Tallahassee
Article last accessed here on December 7, 2015.
A print-ready pdf is available here.