Florida lawmakers keep raiding affordable housing funds to help finance tax giveaways to powerful and politically connected corporations and other wealthy campaign donors, while Florida families fall further behind.
Imagine falling behind on mortgage or rent payments and facing the nightmare scenario of losing your home. It’s a harsh reality for a growing number of Florida families – and there’s one simple thing our state leaders can do to help – stop raiding the state’s affordable housing trust fund.
Tell your state lawmakers to stop raiding the affordable housing trust fund. Trust fund monies dedicated to housing should be spent on housing.
In the past 20 years state lawmakers have diverted more than $2 billion from the Sadowski Affordable Housing trust fund. For the past 12 straight years, while Florida’s housing crisis has deepened, legislative leaders have siphoned money away from this critically needed revenue source1 that is supposed to be used for expanding access to affordable housing options across Florida.
Meanwhile, the Sunshine State ranks among the worst in the nation for housing costs. If you’re in Miami, that’s the second worst city in the country for becoming a homeowner, according to the latest housing affordability index.2
That’s why we need a tidal wave of public support to make sure these funds aren’t diverted yet again this year by state legislators.
Tell your state representatives: quit raiding Florida’s affordable housing trust fund.
Lawmakers keep raiding these dedicated funds to help finance tax giveaways to powerful and politically connected corporations and other wealthy campaign donors, while Florida families fall further behind. Last year alone, legislators diverted $125 million from housing trust funds, and the proposed state house budget would continue this unconscionable practice into 2021.
The good news is the current budget proposals from the state senate leave the housing funds intact, and on Monday a state senate committee unanimously passed a bill (SB 306) prohibiting raids on the affordable housing trust fund.
Thanks for joining folks from across Florida to send a loud and clear message to lawmakers that now is the time to stop taking money from the affordable housing trust.