1. Implementing a Robust State & Local Housing Trust Fund: The Florida Experience
Prepared for the National Alliance to End Homelessness Annual Conference
July 18, 2017
Susan Pourciau, Ph.D.
Director of Ending Homelessness Team
Florida Housing Coalition

2. Overview
How it Works: Basic features and strategies of Florida’s Housing Trust Fund
How it Keeps Working: Advocacy for Florida’s Housing Trust Fund
How You Can Take it Home: What you can do to build your Housing Trust Fund

3. How it Works: Basic features of Florida’s Housing Trust Fund

4. Florida’s Housing Trust Fund
Diverse coalition came together in 1991
No one got everything they wanted but everyone got something they needed
Dedicated revenue source = Documentary stamp tax (transfer tax) on all real estate transactions through 1992 “Sadowski Act”
10cents per $100 value
Big money
generates approximately $ k annually

6. Florida’s Housing Trust Fund
Both local and state funding
70%  Local Housing Trust Fund
Administered by local governments
All counties (range in was $350k - $11.5mill)
CDBG-entitlement cities
30%  State Housing Trust Fund
Administered by state Housing Finance Agency
Combines Flexibility and Accountability

7. Florida’s Housing Trust Fund
Multifamily
Home ownership
Emergency repair
Rehabilitation and preservation
New construction
Set-asides for ELI, VLI, “special needs”
Rent subsidies

8. How it Keeps Working: Advocacy for Florida’s Housing Trust Fund

9. Statewide Coalition of Movers, Shakers,
Hat Colors,
Interest Groups . . .

10. Grassroots advocacy through nonprofit partners
Facilitated by Florida Housing Coalition
Funded by JP Morgan Chase

12. How You Can Take it Home: What you can do to build your Housing Trust Fund

13. Lessons to Take Home
A small piece of a big scrumptious pie > a big piece of a tiny pie
Stay true to mission but/and don’t let your particular focus get in the way of success
Compromise and negotiate with more influential players to get broad buy-in

14. Lessons to Take Home
A Housing Trust Fund is a bucket – it’s empty until you find money to put in it
So create a dedicated revenue source to put money into the bucket
Consider a dedicated revenue source with a logical nexus to the need for affordable housing

15. Lessons to Take Home Craft your message wisely
Always, economic impact –
Housing is an economic driver that pumps money into and throughout the local community and generates jobs
Sometimes, need –
The need for affordable housing is great, prevents and ends homelessness, serves moderate-income and “workforce” as well as low- income

16. Resources and references
Florida’s Sadowski Housing Trust Fund Coalition
Center for Community Change: Housing Trust Fund Project

17. Questions and Comments