The Florida Housing Finance Corporation administers the State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) program, which allows local governments the flexibility to determine their affordable housing needs and develop and implement strategies for meeting those needs. SHIP provides funds to local governments on a population-based formula as an incentive to produce and preserve affordable housing for very low, low and moderate income families. Up to 25 percent of the funds allocated to local governments can be used for rental housing. These funds are derived from the collection of documentary stamp tax revenues. SHIP funds are distributed on an entitlement basis to all 67 counties and 48 Community Development Block Grant entitlement cities in Florida. The minimum allocation is $350,000 and the maximum allocation is over $9 million. SHIP dollars may be used to fund a variety of needs, including emergency repairs, new construction, rehabilitation, down payment and closing costs, impact fees, construction and gap financing, mortgage buy-downs, acquisition of property for affordable housing, matching dollars for federal housing grants and programs, and homeownership counseling. For more information about the SHIP program, go to www.floridahousing.org
During FAC’s September Policy Meeting, a model resolution on Affordable Housing was distributed to the attendees. The model was developed by the Sadowski Affordable Housing Coalition as a part of its new “Sadowski Education Effort,” which is a grassroots lobbying effort to educate legislators statewide about the importance of the state’s primary affordable housing program. As a part of this effort, the coalition is seeking sponsors to file legislation that would (1) repeal the cap on the housing trust fund and (2) ensure that all housing trust fund dollars are used for affordable housing purposes. To show support for this effort, the coalition is asking that counties and cities pass resolutions demonstrating their support for this initiative.