April 2014 Archives

Tuesday’s letters: Withholding health care hurts everyone

April 4, 2014 | Tampa Bay Times

With the Florida Legislature no longer burdened by a budget deficit, the Senate leadership voted to restore state and local affordable housing trust funds to normal operation. This would return to local governments their share of the funds through the State Housing Initiatives Partnership program, or SHIP
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Florida’s housing programs need all trust-fund revenue

April 5, 2014 | Orlando Sentinel

Last week, the National Low Income Housing Coalition released its Out of Reach report, a national report card on the housing wage — how much a family needs to earn to afford the fair-market rent in a given jurisdiction. For the Orlando area, the housing wage is $18.90. Unfortunately, that does not reflect the wages earned by the vast majority of the work force of a tourist-based economy, as well as the fixed income that constrains Florida’s elderly and disabled populations in finding a safe and suitable place to live.
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Florida’s housing programs need ample state funding

April 8, 2014 | South Florida Sun-Sentinel

The Florida Senate’s budget appropriates all of the housing trust fund monies generated by the documentary stamp projected for fiscal year 2014-15 to Florida’s housing programs.
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“Last Call” via WMNF-FM: Need for Florida Lawmakers to Use Housing Trust Funds for Housing

April 8, 2014 | WMNF-FM Tampa

Click here to listen to WMNF-FM’s “Last Call” segment featuring Jaimie Ross on the need for Florida Lawmakers to use housing trust funds solely for housing.

Viewpoint: House should support state housing money

April 13, 2014 | Pensacola News Journal

State Must Rebuild Housing Funds

April 14, 2014 | Lakeland Ledger

The Florida Senate’s budget appropriates all of the housing trust fund money generated by the documentary stamp projected for fiscal year 2014-15 to Florida’s housing programs. WhatThe Florida Legislature is no longer burdened by a state budget deficit. In the Florida Senate, leadership has restored the state and local affordable housing trust funds to normal operation, returning to local government their share of the local government trust funds through the State Housing Initiatives Partnership program. Now we need the House to do the same.s needed now is for the Florida House to do the same.
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Editorial: State budget surplus means no need to raid housing trust funds

April 16, 2014 | Palm Beach Post

Florida Senate and House conferees will begin budget negotiations in earnest next week. Surprisingly, among the things to be reconciled is a huge gap in the amount of the documentary stamp tax each chamber has earmarked for affordable housing.
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