June 2013 Archives

Critics: Fla. mortgage settlement misspent

June 4, 2013 | Orlando Sentinel

South Orlando homeowner Francisco Molina said Gov. Rick Scott’s decision Tuesday to spend mortgage settlement fees on new dorms, courts and the homeless misses the mark to help foreclosure victims.
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EDITORIAL: Affordable Housing: Workers Need Homes Too

June 5, 2013 | Lakeland Ledger

Real estate bubbles come and go, but the community will always need affordable housing. There is never enough in a below-average-wage economy such as ours — so we should never give up on efforts to encourage a sustainable supply.
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Jaimie Ross: Legislature takes ‘trust’ out of housing trusts

June 8, 2013 | Sarasota Herald Tribune

By the close of the 2013 legislative session, Florida lawmakers passed Senate Bill 1852, legislation that appropriated approximately $200 million in attorney general mortgage settlement funds. The attorney general is to be commended for her leadership role in obtaining the bank settlement and, moreover, for her insistence that the discretionary portion of the settlement funds be used only for housing related purposes. The Legislature is to be commended for using a portion of those funds for the State Apartment Incentive Loan Program (SAIL) and State Housing Initiative Partnership Program (SHIP).
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Jaimie Ross: Legislature missed chance to help with housing needs

June 10, 2013 | South Florida Sun-Sentinel

By the close of the 2013 legislative session, Florida lawmakers passed Senate Bill 1852, that appropriated approximately $200 million in Attorney General mortgage settlement funds.  The Attorney General is to be commended for her leadership role in obtaining the bank settlement and moreover, for her insistence that the discretionary portion of the settlement funds was to be used only for housing related purposes. The Legislature is to be commended for using a portion of those funds for the State Apartment Incentive Loan Program and State Housing Initiative Partnership Program.
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Jaimie Ross: A missed chance to boost housing

June 11, 2013 | Tallahassee Democrat

Near the close of this past legislative session, Florida lawmakers passed Senate Bill 1852, appropriating approximately $200 million in attorney general mortgage settlement funds.
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Jaimie Ross: Lawmakers’ raid on housing trust funds hurt state, people

June 17, 2013 | Ocala Star Banner

By the close of the 2013 Legislative Session, Florida lawmakers passed Senate Bill 1852, legislation that appropriated approximately $200 million in Attorney General mortgage settlement funds.  The Attorney General is to be commended for her leadership role in obtaining the bank settlement and moreover, for her insistence that the discretionary portion of the settlement funds was to be used only for housing related purposes. The Legislature is to be commended for using a portion of those funds for the State Apartment Incentive Loan Program (SAIL) and State Housing Initiative Partnership Program (SHIP).
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Housing market recovering in NE Florida

June 23, 2013 | St. Augustine Record

A return to health of the lower end of the housing market in St. Johns County is adding to consumer confidence and to the overall economy. But those same increases in home values could also keep some middle-class families from getting into the market.
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