Things To Do In SW Florida

There was no discussion and no public comment, but on Tuesday Lake County became the first municipality in Central Florida to deny property tax exemptions for affordable housing developments that previously qualified for such incentives under a tough Florida pro-housing law.

It was an early salvo in what could be dozens of silent strikes from cities and counties across Florida on the so-called Live Local Act, a law meant to encourage more affordable workforce housing and prevent the types of double-digit rent spikes Florida has seen in recent years.

Winter Park’s City Commission voted unanimously on Wednesday to do the same, and Maitland is expected to do so at its next meeting, according to a report in GrowthSpotter.

And while local officials say they’re taking a stand against tax giveaways, housing advocates say the moves may push up rents at apartments targeted at low- and moderate-income Floridians.

In addition to encouraging the construction of new affordable housing by loosening zoning requirements, the Live Local law has provided tax incentives for new and recently completed apartment communities to help their owners keep rents attainable. So any project would be eligible for a 75% savings on its property tax bill if it’s less than five years old, has at least 70 units and offers rents considered affordable for tenants earning up to 120% of the area median income, or AMI, (around $90,000 for a two-person household) read more