AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR PERSONS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS LEGISLATION
STRIKE ALL AMENDMENT
SENATE COMMUNITY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

2009-10 Public Policy and Advovacy Priorities document

The proposed, budget neutral legislation is intended to increase the affordable housing options of individuals with special needs with disabling conditions and at risk of homelessness. Among the persons that will be served are:

  • Persons with disabilities
  • Veterans with disabilities
  • Youth aging out of foster care
  • Survivors of domestic violence

Specifically, the legislation:

  1. Identifies the individuals above as individuals who qualify for affordable housing funds.
  2. Defines disabling condition as a diagnosable substance abuse disorder, serious mental illness, developmental disability, or chronic physical illness that is expected to continue long term. The disabling condition cannot be of such nature as to impair the individual’s ability to live independently.
  3. Designates special needs households as a target population within the preexisting statutory set-asides of the State Apartment Incentive Loan program.

Why this legislation is needed:
While there is extensive documentation showing that persons with disabilities, youth aging out of foster care, disabled veterans and survivors of domestic violence are groups at great risk of becoming homeless, there is no current authorization in state statute requiring the use of housing funds to serve these individuals. As a result, individuals and families cycle in and out of homelessness and more extensive systems of care such as shelters, hospitals and jails. Persons are frequently required to become homeless in order to qualify for housing.

This legislation does not require any additional appropriations; it merely identifies a new group of individuals who can qualify for affordable housing funds.

The strike all amendment removes language that could have a fiscal impact, more specifically it:

  • Remove the 20% ELI requirement
  • Remove the 10% above cap to special needs provision
  • Amend the special needs definition to better clarify intended populations to be served

For additional information please contact Shannon Nazworth (904) 359-9650

FLSHC is dedicated to moving this legislation forward, while expanding an understanding of the need for affordable housing by extremely low-income populations. Throughout this legislative session, FLSHC will be calling upon its members to support is passage by contacting senators and representatives as it travels through committees. We will be asking you to share the importance of this bill to Florida’s at-risk citizens, its budget neutral affect, and its potential for future cost savings to other systems of government. These Legislative talking points are useful when contacting legislators.