First Up: 'Live Local' Act heads to full Florida House

A priority of Senate President Kathleen Passidomo to try to boost affordable housing is headed to the House floor. The House Ways & Means Committee on Monday voted 19-2 to approve a measure (HB 627) dubbed the “Live Local Act,” which includes providing incentives for investment in affordable housing and seeking more mixed-use developments in struggling commercial areas. 

The Senate on March 8 unanimously passed a similar bill (SB 102). As with the Senate version, the House proposal carries a $711 million price tag. Among other things, it would preempt local government rules on zoning, density and building heights in certain circumstances, create tax exemptions for developments that set aside at least 70 units for affordable housing, speed permits and development orders for affordable housing projects and bar local rent controls. 

Democrats continued to express concerns about the rent-control prohibition and local government preemption. “Do I like preemptions? I absolutely do not,” Rep. Dianne Hart, D-Tampa, said. “But I applaud the fact that President Passidomo has put together a bill that would make me vote for it, even though I don't like some parts of it.” 

House sponsor Demi Busatta Cabrera, R-Coral Gables, said the state has a housing shortage that needs to be addressed. “We don't have enough apartments, enough homes available for those that need them,” she said. “The rent-control provision, that would not help fix our crisis.” 

– The News Service of Florida