Out of 20 affordable housing bills introduced in this year’s legislative session – an omnibus bill – 72 pages long – was passed. However one of the most important aspects of the bill was removed. It would have repealed a cap on the affordable housing trust fund set to take effect next year. If the cap remains, experts say there won’t be enough money to solve Florida’s housing crisis. Jaimie Ross – President of the Florida Housing Coalition -- says a dedicated revenue source means everything.

“We’re never going to be able to have every Floridian in the housing they want to be in because we have all these outside market forces that are driving the cost of our housing up. But we’re going to be very far along the way if we get our dedicated revenue source used the way it should be.”

Ross told those attending a workforce housing symposium in Fort Myers Thursday to lobby new leadership next year to make sure the cap is repealed. This year’s session did see some success though – there were modifications to the program for the working poor plus a pilot program for essential services personnel at the higher end of the income range.