I will work to continue to make sure that those (affordable housing trust) funds are available to help fund attainable housing in this state for ... our teachers, nurses, police officers and many others in the workforce.
— Charlie Crist
The leading candidates running for Florida governor in the November 2006 elections came together and discussed their views last month at the Florida Association of Realtors Mid-Winter Business meetings in Orlando.
An estimated 450 Realtors filled the convention room to hear the candidates’ views on a range of real estate issues, including property tax issues, the rising cost of insurance and the availability of workforce housing in Florida.
Participating candidates included Florida Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher (R), Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist (R), U.S. Rep. Jim Davis (D-Tampa) and Florida Sen. Rod Smith (D-Alachua).
“Florida Realtors know that having the opportunity to see and hear the candidates in person will help our more than 155,000 members, their families, clients and affiliates make an informed choice in this important race,” says 2006 FAR President Mike Dooley. “We will certainly support a strong candidate who will help build a better future for all Florida residents and visitors.”
FAR has a strong interest in the availability of workforce housing that is affordable for the state’s teachers, police officers, nurses, firefighters and others in Florida who increasingly find it difficult to purchase a home within the communities in which they live and work. When asked about workforce housing, all candidates voiced their support for the state’s affordable housing trust funds - long a priority for Florida Realtors and FAR.
“The Legislature should not take money out of the affordable housing trust funds...I believe the money should be used for what it was intended when you (Realtors) helped to establish the William E. Sadowski Act and Florida’s affordable housing trust funds,” Gallagher said. He added that he wants to use state money to help fund model programs creating workforce housing, such as a Key West initiative currently being tried.
“I helped create the Sadowski trust fund with many of you in this room,” said Davis. “These politicians in Tallahassee have helped take the trust out the trust funds... I think it’s wrong. I think it’s time to stop playing games.”
“I will work to continue to make sure that those (affordable housing trust) funds are available to help fund attainable housing in this state for ... our teachers, nurses, police officers and many others in the workforce.” Crist said. He also emphasized the need to keep taxes low to keep housing within reach of Florida’s workforce. Crist added that he supports an initiative to allow homeowners to keep their property tax savings that result from the Save Our Homes amendment in some cases when they buy another Florida home.
“I guess I haven’t been a politician very long because I thought that when people put money aside in a trust fund for a special purpose, that’s what the money should go for,” said Smith. “I was in Okeechobee recently and they told me that they needed 36 teachers and they signed ‘em up pretty quickly - but then they lost about half of them when the teachers found out that they couldn’t afford housing near where they were supposed to work. The state is going to have to help make that happen.”
Realtor concerns are many and range from preserving affordable and attainable homeownership opportunities to private property rights and smart growth planning.