History of Affordable Housing
1937
U.S. Housing Act: also known as the Wagner-Steagall Act; began the Public Housing initiative; key elements of the bill were to construct more affordable homes, improve construction output, provide jobs, work for economic stability, and remove slums
http://tucnak.fsv.cuni.cz/~calda/Documents/1930s/Wagner_1937.html
1965
Department of Housing and Urban Development Act of 1965 creates HUD as a Cabinet-level agency; first secretary is Robert C. Weaver, who is appointed to the position in 1966
1968
Civil Rights Act of 1968: or the Fair Housing Law; Title VIII; outlaws most housing discriminations and gives HUD enforcement capabilities to promote and protect affordable housing www.usdoj.gov/crt/housing/title8.htm
Housing Act of 1968: establishes the Government National Mortgage Assocation (Ginnie Mae) to expand availability of mortgage funds for moderate income families using government guaranteed mortgage-backed securities
1970
Housing and Urban Development Act of 1970: introduces two new programs for affordable housing, the Federal Experimental Housing Allowance Program and the Community Development Corporation
1972
Florida Housing Act: mandated a 12-year plan for the elimination of all substandard housing in the state by June 30, 1985
1974
Housing and Community Development Act: consolidates a variety of programs into the broader Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to address community and economic development concerns of eligible neighborhoods; also the Section 8 vouchers increase low-income tenants’ choices in finding and securing affordable housing
1977
Urban Development Action Grants (UDAG): appropriates funds for distressed communities to use for residential and non-residential improvements
1979
Inflation hits 19%, severely impacting home buying, mortgage loans, and affordable housing program efficiency
1980
Florida Housing Finance Agency: program established to finance multi-family and single family housing for low-income and moderate income persons; the Florida legislature approved a $6 million loan in 1981 to make the program feasible; this agency became the Florida Housing Finance Corporation in 1997
1983
Housing and Urban-Rural Recovery Act: begins the Housing Development Action Grant and the Rental Rehabilitation programs
1986
Affordable Housing Act of 1986: FL appropriated funds ($3.3 million) for construction and permanent financing for affordable, low-income housing; the funding also supported the Affordable Housing Study Commission as well as training and technical assistance for community-based organizations
1987
Stewart B. McKinney Act: establishes programs in specific communities to assist with combating homelessness
1988
State Apartment Incentive Loan Program (SAIL): program providing low-interest loans on a competitive basis to developers of affordable rental housing; this program as well as HAP were a result of the earlier Affordable Housing Study Commission completed as part of the Affordable Housing Act of 1986
Homeownership Assistance Program (HAP): program assisting low-income persons in purchasing a home by reducing the cost of the home with below-market construction financing, reducing amount of down payment/ closing costs paid by owner, or reducing the monthly payment to an affordable amount
Both of these programs received a total of $15 million from the State Infrastructure Fund; the goals of these programs were to provide “decent and affordable housing” availability to all residents by 2010
Fair Housing Amendment Act (FHAA): broadened Title VIII of CRA of 1968; individual may not be denied housing based on handicap, familial status, race color, religion, sex, national origin or ancestry; also expands the requirements for accommodating the needs of persons with disabilities; makes it easier for victims of housing discrimination to sue and stiffens the penalties for the offenders
Housing and Community Development Act: allows the sale of public housing to resident management corporations with contracts to HUD
1990
The State Housing Strategy was formed to write and pass legislative policies that will help fund and support affordable housing initiatives
Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act: emphasizes homeownership and tenant-based assistance and launches the HOME housing block grant
Low-Income Housing Preservation and Residential Homeownership Act: emphasizes federal commitment to preservation of assisted low-income and multifamily affordable housing
1992
William E. Sadowski Act: earmarked a portion of the state’s documentary stamp taxes for affordable housing programs
State Housing Initiatives Partnership Program (SHIP): program that provides funds to local government on a population-based formula as an incentive to produce and preserve affordable housing
East Central Florida Regional Planning Council (ECFRPC) Affordable Housing Methodology: developed a methodology for assessing the impact of Development of Regional Impact (DRI) projects on the ability of DRI employees to find affordable housing within a reasonable distance to their employment. The methodology was revised in 1999.
1994
Adequate Housing Rule: adopted by the Department of Community Affairs; imposes regulation to conduct affordable housing impact assessments on new DRI construction.
1996
The ECFRPC methodology was approved to act in lieu of the State’s Adequate Housing Rule and the ECFRPC can be used throughout the state
2004
Executive Order 04-420: Governor Bush created the Hurricane Housing Work Group; this group examined the data on housing damage from the hurricanes and considered tools to use for funding in impacted areas
House Bill 9A: provides up to $150 million in relief money for residential policyholders that have been assessed multiple deductibles by insurance companies for damage from more than one hurricane; the bill replaces a per event deductible in residential property insurance policies with an annual deductible
Senate Bill 8A: Provides $35 million in tax relief to home owners impacted by the 2004 hurricanes; offers property tax relief to homeowners whose homes were rendered uninhabitable for at least 60 days and sales tax relief for manufactured home owners whose homes were destroyed