Governor Proposes Full Funding for Affordable Housing Trust Fund

For the first time in many years, full funding of the Sadowski Affordable Housing Trust Fund was included in a governor's proposed budget. Governor DeSantis' budget, which outlines potential spending for the fiscal year that starts July 1, 2019, does not recommend any sweeps of state and local housing trust funds. Legislators have historically raided the pool, which was established to provide funding for construction and rehabilitation of affordable housing, down-payment support, emergency repairs, and limited rental development to assist the disabled, elderly, veterans, disaster victims, and others in need of housing assistance.
 
The FCCB is an original member of the Sadowski Coalition and has supported full appropriation of the housing trust funds since passage of the Sadowski Act in 1992. Full appropriation will improve access to affordable housing as well as help create over 30,000 jobs and more than $4 billion in positive economic impact in Florida.
 
Lawmakers will use Governor DeSantis' proposal as a starting point as they negotiate a final spending plan during the legislative session that starts March 5. "We thank Governor DeSantis for standing up for Florida's most vulnerable residents and for the working poor," said Bishop Dewane of Venice, Moderator for Catholic Charities of Florida, in a recent op-ed. "We hope that this year will bring a return of the proper functioning of the Sadowski Act."