Sen. Calatayud affordable housing bill passes final committee assignment
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Miami Republican Sen. Alexis Calatayud’s affordable housing legislation unanimously passed the Florida Senate Fiscal Policy Committee, its final committee assignment, on Wednesday.
SB 328 seeks to provide affordable housing across the state as an expansion of the 2023 Live Local legislative goals championed by Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples.
HB 1239 by Rep. Vicki Lopez, R-Miami, is the House companion legislation to the bill. That bill still has more committees to go through in the House.
“As we discussed last session, not only is workforce housing critical to the security of our state, but it’s a top quality of life issue impacting Floridians who want to build their lives and raise their families in the communities that they serve,” Calatayud said.
The senator said that the bill proposes a “number of enhancements” in the 2023 Live Local Act pertaining to zoning and land use for affordable housing developments, preemptions for floor area ratio for qualifying developments, clarification that affordable housing units must be rentals, along with other reforms.
An amendment to height entitlement revisions also passed the committee.
Sen. Shevrin Jones, D-Miami Gardens, commended Calatayud on the legislation, emphasizing the impact it would make in communities.
“I know it is a heavy lift, and I’m sure that we will probably continue to have to do more work,” Jones said. “So, I commend you today, and look forward to supporting the bill today.”
Sen. Victor Torres, D-Kissimmee, also congratulated the sponsor during debate, saying how addressing housing affordably is a “working progress.”
“We need to do something about and I’m glad that we’re moving along,” Torres said.
“I’ll be supporting the bill today, there’s no problem about that,” he said. “The problem I look at is how we’re moving along and making sure that our veterans, our seniors, our working class families are getting a place to live and call home.”
Sen. Geraldine Thompson, D-Orlando, said that she is happy to support the bill, but encouraged further clarity when it came to student housing and if student housing is considered affordable housing.
