Although the 2023 Live Local Act was designed to increase affordable housing in Florida, a recent report from the Florida Policy Institute (FPI) suggests that this housing remains largely out of reach for families relying on the income of a firefighter, paramedic, educator, or law enforcement officer. The act aims to support households earning between 80 to 120 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI), but FPI's findings indicate that many public sector workers earn below this range if they are the sole breadwinner.
The Live Local Act includes measures such as funding for private development loans, tax credits up to $100 million annually, and property tax exemptions. It also expands the Hometown Heroes program, with state leaders promoting it as a catalyst for developing affordable housing for Florida’s workforce. However, FPI's analysis across 25 Metropolitan Statistical Areas in Florida reveals affordability challenges:
- Only 16.4% of counties are affordable for a three-person family and none for a four-person family on a firefighter's average salary.
- Just 10.9% of counties are affordable for a three-person family and 1.6% for a four-person family on an average paramedic/EMT salary.
- Educators fare slightly better with 44.8% of counties being affordable for a three-person family and 38.8% for a four-person family.
- For law enforcement officers, affordability is at 31.3% for three-person families and drops to 13.4% for four-person families.
"Housing affordability is one piece of the larger issue," said Sadaf Knight, CEO of FPI. "The cost of living in Florida makes it very hard for families to thrive." Knight emphasized that despite the virtues highlighted by supporters of Live Local, working Floridians often lack dignity at workforce AMIs.
Cicely Hodges, policy analyst at FPI and author of the report, noted that while some efforts prioritize lower AMIs through discretion by entities like the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, legislative action focusing on AMIs below 50 percent is necessary to ensure more workers can survive in Florida.
FPI recommends several adjustments to make the Live Local Act more equitable:
- Codifying language to lower AMI ranges or setting aside funds specifically for lower AMI levels.
- Allocating recurring portions of future Live Local funds through local governments via the Statewide Housing Initiatives Partnership program targeting lower AMIs or constructing housing affordable to public workers.
- Providing local governments with funds as housing vouchers and property insurance-related gap financing.
The report highlights that "workforce" housing typically targets those earning between 80-120 percent AMI but excludes many workers who fall below this threshold.