DeSantis Signed Budgets That Swept $447 Million From The Housing Trust Fund In Three Years. According to CBS Miami, “In his first three years as governor, DeSantis signed budgets that swept $447 million from the housing trust fund for other purposes.” [CBS Miami, 5/31/22]
DeSantis Signed A $711 Million Housing Bill Which Banned Rent Control And Gave Tax Incentives To Developers. According to the Orlando Sentinel, “Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law Wednesday a bill that pumps $711 million into affordable housing, a move that developers cheered but others said didn’t go far enough to help typical Floridians struggling to pay rent. Dubbed the Live Local Act, SB 102 from Senate President Kathleen Passidomo redirects some tax revenue toward affordable housing over the next 10 years and creates incentives for developers of affordable projects. It essentially doubles the money Florida spent on affordable housing last year. But it also strips local governments of control over certain projects and outlaws local rent-control ordinances such as the one Orange County considered last year. The $711 million in the measure is ‘the largest ever support for housing in state history,’ DeSantis said at a signing ceremony in Naples with Passidomo and House Speaker Paul Renner at this side.” [Orlando Sentinel, 3/29/23]
2021: DeSantis Signed Into Law Legislation That Distributed Momentary Stamp Tax Funds To The New Resilient Florida Program And The Water Sustainability And Accountability Program Trust Fund For Wastewater Grant Programs, And Lowered The Distribution Rate To The State Housing Trust Fund And Local Government Housing Trust Fund. In June 2021, according to the Florida Senate, DeSantis signed into law Senate Bill 2512, which “conform[ed] statutes to the funding decisions related to the Documentary Stamp Distributions in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for Fiscal Year 2021-2022. The bill: Revise[d] Documentary Stamp Tax distributions of the remainder after distributions are made to the Land Acquisition Trust Fund, Department of Revenue Administration cost, and the General Revenue Service Charge by: Adding a distribution of 5.4175 percent of the remainder to the newly created Resilient Florida Trust Fund to be used for the new Resilient Florida Program. Adding a distribution of 5.4175 percent of the remainder to the Water Sustainability and Accountability Program Trust Fund to be used for the wastewater grant program provided in s. 403.0673, F.S. Amending the distributions made to the State Housing Trust Fund and Local Government Housing Trust Fund to 9.70254 percent of the remainder. Also, prevents funds distributed to the State Housing Trust Fund and the Local Government Housing Trust Fund from being transferred to General Revenue. Amend[ed] the use of the Water Protection and Sustainability Program Trust Fund to authorize the fund to be used for the wastewater grant program. Ma[de] other technical adjustments to clean up the subsection. [Was] linked to Resilient Florida Trust Fund bill (SB 2514) and Statewide Flooding and Sea-Level Rise Resilience (SB 1954).” [Florida Senate, Accessed on 10/10/22; Florida Senate, S.B. 2512]
Under The Law, Palm Beach County Lost $10 Million For Affordable Housing. According to the Palm Beach Post, “Today, under the new law DeSantis signed, Palm Beach County will lose $10 million in Sadowski funding in 2021-2022 fiscal year alone. Those are monies that could provide additional rent subsidies for families in need or even down payment assistance for those looking to buy a home. It could also provide an incentive for developers to build or rehabilitate affordable housing by providing them low-interest loans.” [Palm Beach Post, 7/12/21]
If DeSantis Had Not Signed The Bill, The Sadowski Coalition Estimated That There Could Have Been Over 32,000 Jobs Created And An Economic Positive Impact Of $4.6 Billion. According to the Palm Beach Post, “Had Florida’s new law not been passed and had the Sadowski fund been fully appropriated, state agencies and local municipalities would have stood to receive about $423 million in the 2021-2022 fiscal year, state reports show. The Sadowski Coalition reports that this kind of money could create over 32,000 jobs and result in $4.6 billion in positive economic impact in just one year while creating housing that could last far into the future, thus helping to ameliorate the growing housing affordability crisis. But the bill did pass, and the money is not coming.” [Palm Beach Post, 7/12/21]
DeSantis Ignored Request To Add Affordable Housing To The Special Session Agenda. According to CBS Miami, “Florida lawmakers returned to Tallahassee last week in an attempt to fix the state’s broken property insurance market. Democrats urged DeSantis to add affordable housing to the special session agenda, but the request was ignored.” [CBS Miami, 5/31/22]
DeSantis’ Administration Told The Gainesville Mayor To Abandon Zoning Reform Amendment. According to the Reason, “Across the country, a growing number of state politicians are proposing or passing laws that override localities' ability to say no to new development. In Florida, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration is actively urging cities to knock off zoning reforms that legalize more housing. Last week, Florida's Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) sent a comment letter to Lauren Poe, Gainesville's mayor, recommending that the city withdraw a provisionally approved zoning amendment that allows two-, three-, and four-unit homes to be built in neighborhoods that were once zoned exclusively for single-family homes.” [Reason, 9/13/22]
DeSantis Vetoed $225 Million In Decades-Old Affordable State Housing Initiatives Partnership. According to the Orlando Sentinel, “In cutting $1 billion from Florida's budget, Gov. Ron DeSantis' red pen also wiped out funding for one of the state's decades-old affordable housing programs. The entire $225 million previously allocated by the Legislature for the State Housing Initiatives Partnership, also known as SHIP, was vetoed, moving the money back into the Sadowski trust fund until legislators convene again.” [Orlando Sentinel, 7/6/20]
Orange County’s Housing And Community Development Division Called DeSantis’ Veto “A Huge Hit,” Noted The County Was Expecting $11.7 Million From SHIP Funding. According to the Orlando Sentinel, “Mitchell Glasser, manager of Orange County's housing and community development division, said the county was expecting $11.7 million in SHIP funds this year, compared with the past two years when it only received about $1.4 million. For the most part, the county uses SHIP for down payment assistance and housing repairs for very low income to moderate income families. It also goes to low-interest loans for developers to build affordable apartments and to support special needs housing. Glasser said he had planned to use the money to establish new programs focused on rehousing the homeless and providing loans to nonprofits that build affordable units. The county has about $4 million leftover from previous SHIP allocations, but some programs might need to be reconsidered. ‘It's a huge hit,’ Glasser said.” [Orlando Sentinel, 7/6/20]
DeSantis Announced A Program To Help People In Certain Professions Buy A Home By Helping Them With Down Payments And Closing Costs. According to the Sun Sentinel, “To help people buy homes in the communities they serve, a new program will assist ‘vital’ workers among 50 professions with down payment and closing costs, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday. The initiative, called the Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program, begins June 1, as the state faces rising costs in housing.” [Sun Sentinel, 5/23/22]
Qualifying Professions Included Physicians, Massage Therapists, And Anesthesiologists, Law Enforcement, Firefighters, Paramedics, EMTs, Teachers, Psychologists, Nurses, Day Care Staff, Active Duty Military, And Veterans. According to the Sun Sentinel, “Among the professions that will qualify for aid include: Physicians, anesthesiologists, dentists and veterinarians Law enforcement officers, correctional officers, probation officers and 911 operators and juvenile detention officers Firefighters, paramedics and emergency medical technicians Teachers, school psychologists and day care instructors Registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and home health aides Massage therapists In addition, all military active duty personnel moving to Florida and the surviving spouses of deceased veterans also will qualify for the assistance. Veterans also qualify, regardless of whether they are first-time buyers, DeSantis said.” [Sun Sentinel, 5/23/22]
The Program Was Projected To Cost Taxpayers $100 Million. According to the Sun Sentinel, “The initiative, called the Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program, begins June 1, as the state faces rising costs in housing. The state’s initiative will cost taxpayers $100 million.” [Sun Sentinel, 5/23/22]
The Money Came From State Resources To Help Low-Income Renters. According to the Sun Sentinel, “But the announcement drew criticism Monday from those who say the money comes from a state pot of funds that was intended to help low-income renters, by building affordable apartments.” [Sun Sentinel, 5/23/22]
The Program Was Criticized For Using Money That Was Designated For Helping Low-Income Renters By Building Affordable Apartments. According to the Sun Sentinel, “Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, said the program ‘feels more political than best practice. The concern a lot of us have is we have folks who are struggling, working people whose rent is going up, and they don’t qualify for this program.’ Her sister, Ida Eskamani, is a member of the Florida Housing Justice Alliance, a group of organizations that aims to protect renters and ensure affordable housing. She said she’s discouraged that ‘struggling, low-income’ professions such as servers, farm workers, construction workers and grocery store clerks aren’t on the list. ‘They don’t need this,’ she said of doctors, who are among those eligible. [Sun Sentinel, 5/23/22]
The Program Was Also Criticized For Excluding Lower-Income Professions, Like Servers, And Including Higher Income Professions Like Doctors. According to the Sun Sentinel, “But the announcement drew criticism Monday from those who say the money comes from a state pot of funds that was intended to help low-income renters, by building affordable apartments. Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, said the program ‘feels more political than best practice. The concern a lot of us have is we have folks who are struggling, working people whose rent is going up, and they don’t qualify for this program.’ Her sister, Ida Eskamani, is a member of the Florida Housing Justice Alliance, a group of organizations that aims to protect renters and ensure affordable housing. She said she’s discouraged that ‘struggling, low-income’ professions such as servers, farm workers, construction workers and grocery store clerks aren’t on the list. ‘They don’t need this,’ she said of doctors, who are among those eligible.” [Sun Sentinel, 5/23/22]
2019: DeSantis Signed Into Law Legislation That Required Local Governments To Provide Financial Incentives To Offset All Costs For Developers Associated With Their Affordable Housing Contribution And Shortened Review Deadlines By Counties For Development Applications. In June 2019, according to the Florida Senate, DeSantis signed into law House Bill 7103, which “[r]equir[ed] a county to provide certain incentives to fully offset all costs to the developer of its affordable housing contribution; require[ed] that a county review the application for completeness and issue a certain letter within a specified period after receiving an application for approval of a development permit or development order; requir[ed] the holder of certain impact fee credits to be entitled to a certain benefit if a local government increases its impact fee rates; require[ed] condominium associations to ensure compliance with the Florida Fire Prevention Code, etc.” [Florida Senate, Accessed on 9/1/22; Florida Senate, H.B. 7103]
2018: DeSantis Voted Against The $1.3 Trillion FY 2018 Omnibus Spending Deal Which Raised Spending By $138 Billion Over FY 2017 Levels, Including A $1.7 Billion Increase In Section 8 Rental Assistance. In March 2018, DeSantis voted against the FY 2018 Omnibus spending bill. According to Congressional Quarterly, “Combined, the spending measures would provide about $1.3 trillion in discretionary spending, with $1.2 trillion subject to discretionary spending caps, and $78.1 billion designated as Overseas Contingency Operations funds. The measure's spending levels are consistent with the increased defense and non-defense budget caps set by the two-year budget deal agreed to last month. That agreement increased the FY 2018 defense cap by $80 billion and the non-defense cap by $63 billion. Given that the previous caps were set to reduce overall discretionary spending by $5 billion, the net increase provided by the omnibus is $138 billion over the FY 2017 level.” The vote was on the motion to concur in the Senate Amendment with an Amendment. The House agreed to the motion, thereby passing the bill, by a vote of 256 to 167. The Senate later agreed to the legislation, sending it to the president, who signed it into law. [House Vote 127, 3/22/18; Congressional Quarterly, 3/22/18; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1625]
2014: DeSantis Voted To Cut Section 8 Housing Funds From An FY 2015 Transportation And HUD Appropriations Bill By 10%. In June 2014, DeSantis voted for an amendment that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, “reduce[d] by 10 percent the amount provided by the bill for Section 8 housing programs and transfer the savings to the bill’s spending reduction account.” The underlying legislation was an FY 2015 Transportation and HUD appropriations bill. The vote was on the amendment. The House rejected the amendment by a vote of 127 to 279. [House Vote 274, 6/9/14; Congressional Quarterly, 6/9/14; Congressional Actions, H. Amdt. 787; Congressional Actions, H.R. 4745]