‘Housing Funds for Housing’ Amendment: Download, Sign, Send
Must doc stamp dollars gathered for housing be put in only on housing? Florida Realtors associates imagine so, and the association throws its comprehensive assistance driving a travel to amend Florida’s structure. But that petition travel desires pretty much 1M signatures – together with yours.
ORLANDO, Fla. – The thought is basic: “Housing cash for housing.”
But the hard work is intricate, and Realtors® all through Florida now have a probability to codify housing support into Florida’s constitution. Nevertheless, the hard work needs perform from every Realtor in the condition, and that starts off with signing a petition.
In idea, the 1992 Sadowski Act developed an cost-effective housing-help technique where by a portion of documentary stamp income – billed on Florida residence sales – goes instantly to cost-effective housing efforts.
In follow, it is a various tale. In excess of the a long time, the Florida Legislature has “swept” $2.3 billion out of the economical housing revenue and moved it into normal revenue, in essence utilizing the income to pay for other condition expenditures.
Yr soon after calendar year, Florida Realtors® has advocated for cost-effective housing, inquiring the Legislature not to use the doc stamp revenue for other functions. But during the 2021 session, lawmakers introduced the difficulty to a breaking level when they established a new law to permanently reduce the cash by 50%.
Realtors in Florida made a decision to consider motion by making a constitutional amendment that would codify “housing cash for housing” into the Florida Constitution. If accepted by 60% of voters for the duration of the 2022 election, Florida’s housing market could then have an ongoing and trustworthy resource of money to help initially-time homebuyers, these types of as nurses, firefighters and academics.
The problem of a constitutional modification
The very first move was finished with the development of “Floridians for Housing,” a Florida Realtors-funded Political Action Committee (PAC) overseeing the exertion to advertise the venture, acquire petition signatures and build a path to the 2022 ballot. The generate formally commenced on Monday, June 28, 2021, and a copy of the total proposal is posted on the Florida Division of Elections’ web page.
The second step: The Florida Supreme Court docket will have to consider and approve the proposed modification language. But to get there, the generate first desires to accumulate 225,000 signatures from registered voters.
The third step: After the court docket approves the amendment language, Floridians for Housing need to obtain much more than 1 million signatures from registered voters. To reach that level, the state’s brokers and brokers will have to not only indicator and return a petition, but they need to also advocate for their sector and collect additional signatures from relatives, pals and clients.
Collecting, signing and sending petitions
Petitions can be downloaded at the Floridians for Housing site or immediately below: https://floridarealtors.org/petition
Petitions ought to be physically signed and stuffed out to qualify. When printed and signed, they must be stamped and snail-mailed. While the petition lists Florida Realtors’ Orlando handle as the sponsor, send out all done petitions to:
Floridians For Housing
3515 NW 98th Road, Ste. 200
Gainesville, FL 32606
Above the yrs, “billions of pounds from the have faith in funds have been siphoned away to be utilised for reasons other than housing,” claims Florida Realtors President Cheryl Lambert. “Getting a constitutional amendment on the ballot and handed by voters is a hefty raise that will choose substantial sources, time and the involvement of our total membership – but we have the methods and we have the passion.”
For Realtors in Florida, it is time for action. Indication and share the petition now.
© 2021 Florida Realtors®
