July saw both the end of the legislative session in Florida (June 30) and significant legislative changes in Washington, D.C., before the start of summer recess.
At the federal level, the new tax package was signed into law by the White House, which disproportionately benefits the highest wage earners while placing significant restrictions on individuals living in poverty. While the legislation includes a range of provisions, it contains significant and detrimental cuts to Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Although these changes are not scheduled to take effect until after the upcoming midterm elections, their potential impact on low-income individuals and families is substantial.
At the state level, Florida lawmakers fully funded the State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) and State Apartment Incentive Loan (SAIL) programs and also included two new property tax exemptions to support affordable housing development. Included in these positive steps for affordable housing, The Yes in God’s Backyard (YIGBY) legislation was also enacted. It allows faith-based institutions to build housing on their property without undergoing rezoning, as long as 10 percent of the units are designated as affordable. The land must either include or be adjacent to a house of public worship. The Florida Housing Coalition estimates that this could activate over 30,000 parcels for potential development. Local governments are not required to adopt this provision, but are authorized to approve such developments on a case-by-case basis and may establish higher affordability thresholds. Hope Partnership is eager to see how this YIGBY tool can be used to engage our faith communities to ensure everyone has a safe place to call home.
Throughout this session, you were extremely active as advocates for policies that ensure everyone in our community has a safe place to call home, and we thank you for lifting your voice to policymakers. Since January, you have sent 302 messages to 26 state and federal legislators on issues relating to the federal budget, preserving critical programs like SNAP, TRIO and Medicaid, and encouraging support on housing legislation. Advocacy is a marathon, not a sprint, and each message you send brings us one step closer to policies that enable our community to thrive. If you’d like to join us as we continue this effort, sign up here: https://secure.everyaction.com/aZy14-HUrUaO3x205f7tpA2
