Florida’s Affordable Housing Initatives Are a Good Start, But More is Required

The state of Florida is facing an affordable housing crisis unlike any we have ever experienced, writes Jeffrey Sharkey of the Sun-Sentinel. It is ironic that the crisis has resulted of the unprecedented Florida housing market boom and a prosperous economy. Proposed legislation by the Sunshine State to ensure affordable housing is a good start, but more is needed.

From the Panhandle to Key West, the dream of owning has become out of reach for many Floridians. The median price of a home in Florida has jumped by close to 90 percent since 2001, yet average wages have grown by only about 10 percent. This has led to a huge gap in the ability of working families to find a safe and affordable place to buy — or even rent.

This shortage has put an enormous strain on traditional affordable housing programs and created a new class of families having problems: moderate-income residents, many of whom are employed in essential service areas of local economies and are overqualified for affordable housing programs.

When employers can’t hire teachers, nurses, police, bank tellers, skilled construction trade workers and others who make communities go, the economy is in jeopardy. If families can’t live in the communities where they work, alienation and disenfranchisement are sure to follow. Without a sense of community, the very soul of our state is in danger.

Thankfully, state and local policymakers have come to realize that a lack of affordable housing is both a social and economic crisis. During the 2006 session, the Florida Legislature passed HB 1363, a far-reaching bill that strengthens housing programs for individuals across a broad continuum of income levels.

The bill also created the Community Workforce Housing Innovation Program, encouraging local public-private partnerships to develop workforce housing for workers with incomes up to 140 percent of area median income. With $50 million in funding for innovative solutions for workforce housing, the program designed to counter the housing crisis is the first of its kind in the country.

The state’s housing program is gaining strength, while local governments around the state are also working hard to develop their own solutions. Housing is an essential component of our infrastructures and — just like jobs, roads, schools and transportation — it must be addressed to ensure the continued and proper growth of our state. Soaring Florida real estate values should not detract from our quality of life.

Even with policies and programs in place to help either meet or counter this growing problem, our work is far from finished. The Legislature must now take the most important step needed to deal with this issue by fully funding the Affordable Housing Trust Funds. We’ve seen that housing for working families is a prerequisite to maintaining the economic prosperity Florida has enjoyed over the last several years.

The cost of the American Dream is rising, but the cost of ignoring it is higher still. Florida must continue to act in addressing the issue.