Last week there was an event going on in Saint Petersburg where people were putting their tiny homes up for sale. These homes are on average around 5000 square feet and utilities can range from as low as $20 and the bills for the month could be as much as $400. It sounds too good to be true. However, this idea may be cut from potential prospects for people who need affordable housing as the lawmakers strap the budget for cash for their own Programs and resources.
Forgetting housing
While Miami is ranked higher in housing costs for people with a moderate income, Orlando is become Las Vegas in Florida, and Tampa is hiking its rent, the lawmakers and Gov.
Rick Scott have once again swept money from the housing program to other spending options. The total revenue fund is now at $1.3 million and some of that is not for housing.
As far as budget is concerned, the trust fund will add another $292 million in funds but leave about $162 million of that for housing programs. But out of the $162 million set aside, Gov. Rick Scott wants to use only $44 million. This type of budget is not enough for apartment complexes or other developments. However, if there was a way to draft a proposal to use the $162 million to set up tiny home communities for working to low-income families who need affordable housing, that could be something worth considering. Most of these homes range in price from $25,000 to $100,000 if you purchase a plan or DIY the option.
Unheard voices
Rep. Sean Shaw is pushing for developers who are constructing these affordable housing options to obtain low-cost liability insurance. But so far this proposal created by Rep. Sean Shaw is falling on deaf ears. His concern is that lawmakers are not understanding the complexity of the issue or the growing problem of Tampa's population and the amount of people who cannot afford some apartment options.
Currently, there are nearly 1 million households in Florida who are near the poverty line that pay half of their income for a home. Florida also has 34,000 people homeless within the state. It's time for a housing change.
