A new group gathers
for the first time to tackle issues related to Florida’s shortage of affordable housing.
Eyeing reforms of everything from building codes to land-use rules, a new Affordable Housing Task Force met for the first time this week on a tight deadline to help fix the state’s housing needs.
The Legislature this year called for the creation of a group charged with suggesting fixes aimed at easing Floridians’ housing needs. The 14-member panel has until January to propose changes to, for instance, the way Florida has spent affordable-housing funds on the general operating budget to keeping the state running. The group can also propose changes to rental programs, building construction, tax credits and the placement of low-income apartments or subdivisions.
“At the state level, where we can have the most influence is using affordable-housing tax dollars for affordable housing and looking at land use and incentives,” said Ability Housing president Shannon Nazworth, who was appointed by Gov. Rick Scott to the group.
During the task force meeting Wednesday in Tallahassee, two areas that drew attention were dedicated spending for affordable housing and regulating land use to dictate the size and location for residential projects.
Osceola County programs drew interest too, Nazworth said. That county has tried to strengthen educational opportunities and other support services for nearby struggling families. Like other counties, Osceola has also tried to lure higher-paying jobs and take advantage of linking wage earners with new transit lines.
Central Florida has been noted nationally for its lack of affordable housing. With just 18 rentals available for every 100 very low-income families, only Las Vegas and Los Angeles were more pressed for units than Metro Orlando, according to a recent study of the country’s top 50 metropolitan areas. The hardest hit of Metro Orlando residents were those earning less than $24,000 a year — or $11 per hour for one person working full-time, according to the report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
Osceola County Commissioner Peggy Choudhry, who has advocated for affordable housing projects, said she would like to see this new group devise a way to get more funds to local governments and nonprofits providing assistance. She said she supported an investor’s recent purchase of an old hotel on U.S. Highway 192 with plans to transform it into affordable apartments. The state should look at opening more doors for that type of investment, she said.
“In Osceola County, we have a lot of families who are working but they are living in hotels,” Choudhry said. “We want them to be working but in more permanent housing. Tiny studios and tiny houses have become very popular.”