• The Live Local Act in Florida, aimed at providing more affordable housing units, has received significant bipartisan support among state lawmakers.
• The proposed bill provides incentives to private developers to construct affordable housing units for low-to-moderate-income workers and has become a top priority for Senate President Kathleen Passidomo.
• The bill has received widespread support from lawmakers and includes provisions for counties and municipalities in approving applications for certain housing developments.

The Live Local Act, a set of legislative measures aimed at providing more affordable housing units in Florida, has garnered significant bipartisan support among state lawmakers.

The proposed bill, introduced by Sen. Alexis Calatayud, aims to provide incentives to private developers to construct affordable housing units for low-to-moderate-income workers and has become a top priority for Senate President Kathleen Passidomo.

The bill has received widespread support and is expected to move quickly through both the House and Senate. It includes provisions for counties and municipalities in approving applications for certain housing developments, including specific requirements and restrictions for local governments to follow when reviewing and approving applications.

In addition to providing affordable housing units, the bill also incentivizes developers to fund down-payment assistance for first-time homebuyers, military families, and veterans. The bill appropriates a total of $252 million to the State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) program and $259 million, including $150 million in new recurring funds, to the State Apartment Incentive Loan (SAIL) program.

The SAIL Program provides low-interest loans on a competitive basis to multifamily affordable housing developers, and the bill directs the additional funds to be used for projects focusing on mixed-use development, urban infill, or developments near military installations in Florida. The Live Local Act also incentivizes the construction of new projects near existing workforce housing units to be built via the restoration and refurbishing of older rental units.

The bill has received bipartisan support from lawmakers, including Sen. Shevrin Jones, who argued that attainable housing is crucial in establishing economic growth in communities.

“Housing is intrinsically linked to economic security and mobility, and all of our communities benefit from stable, safe housing that meets residents’ needs,” said Jones. “There is still more to be done to address this urgent issue, and that’s why I will continue to work with my colleagues to bring the much-needed relief to Florida’s families.”

The bill received additional support from Sen. Rosalind Osgood, who is attached to the Live Local Act as a sponsor.

“I believed in this bill from the beginning and signed on as a Co-Sponsor early on,” she said. “I appreciated the way Sen. Calatayud worked with each member of the Senate to ensure their questions and concerns were addressed, I applaud both President Passidomo for making the issue of affordable housing a priority and Senator Calatayud for taking the President’s vision and making it a piece of legislation we can all be proud of.”

Florida is currently experiencing an affordable housing crisis. The state’s growing population, coupled with a lack of new affordable housing developments, has led to a shortage of available units. This shortage is especially acute in urban areas, where housing costs are often too high for many residents.