For Immediate Release

Thursday, January 7, 2016

Contact:
Sarah Bascom, sarah@bascomllc.com, 850.294.6636
Kelsey Swithers, kelsey@bascomllc.com, 941.400.8183

Sadowski Coalition Calls on Florida Legislature to Use All State & Local
Housing Trust Fund Monies for Housing
Florida Home Matters Report 2016 Released by Florida Housing Coalition:
Data Supports Full Appropriation of Housing Trust Funds for Housing
Tallahassee, Fla. The Sadowski Coalition, comprised of 30 diverse statewide organizations,
including industry and business groups; advocates for the elderly, veterans, homeless and special
needs; and faith-based organizations, gathered today at a press conference to call on the Florida
Legislature to use all state and local housing trust fund monies for housing in Fiscal Year 201617.
To demonstrate the extreme need for affordable housing in Florida, the Florida Housing
Coalition, a Florida statewide nonprofit provider of training and technical assistance, released
their Home Matters Report 2016 for Florida at the press conference. The national Home
Matters initiative is an effort to educate the public and policymakers about the connection
between housing, health, education and the economy. The full report is available at the following
link: http://bit.ly/1mI8NWL.
As this years Home Matters Report clearly demonstrates, more than 951,000 very lowincome households in Florida those below 50 percent of median income pay more than half
of their income on housing, said Jaimie Ross, facilitator of the Sadowski Coalition, and
president and CEO of the Florida Housing Coalition. But, Florida has the best model for
funding and producing affordable housing in the nation, and the Florida Legislature has the
opportunity to make the most of that now by appropriating all state and local housing trust fund
monies for housing. The appropriation of the nearly $324 million in the state and local housing
trust funds in Fiscal Year 2016-17 into Floridas affordable housing programs will create more
than 32,000 jobs and more than $4.6 billion in positive economic impact for the State of
Florida.
Floridas state and local housing trust funds are able to provide critically-needed funds to those
who need it most, including our states families, veterans, homeless, elderly and those with
special needs, said Vanessa McCleary, manager of housing and community development for the
City of Tampa. For example, in the City of Tampa, we were able to provide a full spectrum of
housing assistance for veterans from ending homelessness to allowing veteran homeowners to
live safely and in comfort with SHIP dollars and many other resources marshalled from the
community by way of Operation Reveille.

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The main cause of homelessness is a shortage of affordable housing, said Dr. Susan Pourciau,
director of homeless training and technical assistance for the Florida Housing Coalition. But,
there is a solution to homelessness housing, as it is the only effective and efficient way to
reduce homelessness. Our communities need the Legislature to celebrate the work that has
already been done to reduce homelessness and keep the good work going with the full
appropriation of housing trust funds to be used for housing.
Floridas state and local housing trust funds not only create and produce affordable places to
live, but they boost Floridas employment and economy, said Greg Matovina, secretary of the
Florida Home Builders Association. That is why we need the state and local housing trust funds
to be appropriated for housing. Theres plenty of work to do to upgrade our housing stock and
plenty of people who still need jobs. Economic recovery in Florida is essential. We need to keep
the momentum going by using all of the housing trust fund monies for housing.
The strength of Florida's economy comes from our workforce, said Frank Walker, vice
president of governmental affairs for the Florida Chamber of Commerce. Ensuring that
Floridas workforce at all income levels can find a safe and affordable place to live near their
places of employment will help ensure Florida retains its competitive edge.
Florida Realtors is a proud member of the Sadowski Coalition, said Carrie ORourke, vice
president of public policy of the Florida Realtors. The support that the state and local housing
trust funds provide makes the dream of homeownership a reality. Homes matter, not only for the
individuals and families, but for our local communities and the future of our state. We thank the
Legislature for the increase in funding last year and we look forward to a continued partnership
with the House and Senate during the 2016 Legislative Session as we advocate for all housing
trust fund monies to go toward housing.
The Sadowski Coalition is a diverse collection of 30 statewide organizations, including industry
groups, such as the Florida Realtors and Florida Home Builders Association; business groups,
including Associated Industries of Florida and the Florida Chamber of Commerce; advocates for
affordable housing providers, including the Florida Association of Housing and Redevelopment
Officials; low-income advocates, including the Florida Coalition for the Homeless and Florida
Legal Services; advocates for the elderly and veterans, including Florida AARP and Florida
Veterans Foundation; and faith-based groups, including Florida Catholic Conference, Florida
Impact and Habitat for Humanity.
For more information on the Sadowski Coalition, please visit SadowskiCoalition.com or follow
@SadowskiFL.
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