Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, in an exclusive interview with the Florida Roundup, said her ambitious $711 million proposal to alleviate the state鈥檚 affordable housing crisis includes financial incentives to developers to build apartments in strip shopping centers and other commercial areas.
鈥淓verywhere I go, speaking to groups, whether it鈥檚 business groups or civic groups, the number one problem facing our state is the lack of safe, affordable housing for the people who work for us and with us,鈥� the Republican legislator told the Florida Roundup, a statewide public affairs show jointly hosted by NPR affiliates in Jacksonville () and in South Florida (SA国际传谋). 鈥淪o last summer, I sat down with staff and said, 鈥楬ow do we find a way for the people who work in a community to live in that community?鈥欌��
The Senate housing bill would pre-empt local-government rules on density and building heights in certain circumstances, create tax exemptions for developments that set aside at least 70 units for affordable housing, speed the processing of permits and prohibit local rent controls.
The bill would also provide money for a series of programs, including $252 million for the longstanding State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) program, $150 million a year to the State Apartment Incentive Loan (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.
Using strip shopping centers and other commercially zoned areas for multi鈭抐amily housing near existing businesses, Passidomo said, could go a long way in providing more housing options.
鈥淚f you are in a strip center that's turned into a multi鈭抐amily residential project next to a hospital, who do you think is going to rent those units? The people who work in the hospital. They can walk to work," Passidomo told the Florida Roundup.
, called the 鈥淟ive Local Act鈥� , has already been given the green light by the Senate. The House is moving forward with its version of the bill, HB 627, and it鈥檚 expected to get the chamber鈥檚 approval, too, because Republicans hold a super鈭抦ajority in both the Senate and House.
