Florida Senate could move quickly on housing bill
TALLAHASSEE - A Senate committee next week will take up a wide-ranging proposal to address housing affordability, with the measure appearing on a fast track as lawmakers prepare for the annual legislative session.
The Senate Community Affairs Committee is scheduled to consider the bill (SB 102) on February 8th. The bill is sponsored by committee Chairwoman Alexis Calatayud, R-Miami, and is a top priority of Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples.
If it clears the Community Affairs Committee, the bill would then need approval only from the Senate Appropriations Committee before it would be ready to go to the full Senate after the legislative session starts on March 7.
The 93-page proposal, dubbed the "Live Local Act," includes providing incentives for private investment in affordable housing, offering flexible housing regulations that encourage mixed-use development in struggling commercial areas, and preventing local rent controls.