Affordable Housing Study Commission

November 2002 Meeting - Orlando

The Affordable Housing Study Commission met in Orlando November 13 – 14 to continue their study of manufactured housing.  In June, at the urging of DCA Secretary Steve Seibert and Florida Housing Finance Corporation Executive Director Mark Kaplan, the Commission voted to study how manufactured housing fits into Florida’s affordable housing delivery system as its sole topic for the 2002 – 2003 Commission year. 

At the November meeting the Commission heard testimony from financial and legal experts as well as manufacturers and owners of manufactured housing.  The overarching question facing the Commission is whether or not the state should recommend the use of state assets for the purchase and/or renovation of manufactured housing.  In its future deliberations, the Commission will be considering exactly how “affordable” is manufactured housing when compared to other affordable housing alternatives and the state’s role, if any, in the rehabilitation and preservation of the state’s manufactured housing stock.

Commission Releases 2001-2002 Report 

On July 15th, the Affordable Housing Study Commission transmitted its 2001-2002 report to Governor Bush, the President of the Florida Senate and the Speaker of the House.  This past year the Affordable Housing Study Commission focused its efforts on three major topic areas: affordable housing and design, infrastructure financing for affordable housing, and NIMBYism, also known as the “Not In My Back Yard” syndrome.  A copy of this report can be found at the Commission’s website.  

June 2002 Meeting

At its June meeting the Commission considered several topics for its 2002 – 2003 agenda.  After much discussion, and at the urging of DCA Secretary Steve Seibert and Florida Housing Finance Corporation Executive Director Mark Kaplan, the Commission voted to address how manufactured housing fits into Florida affordable housing delivery system as its sole topic for the 2002 – 2003 Commission year.  While a number of states acknowledge the role of manufactured housing in their affordable housing strategies, manufactured housing is not currently understood to be part of Florida’s affordable housing framework.  The Commission will be addressing questions such as:  should manufactured housing be a part of Florida’s policy framework and, if so, how? What is the best role for manufactured housing? What are the problems that must be resolved for manufactured housing to be a viable part of such a framework? And finally, what are the Commission’s legislative, policy and program recommendations regarding these issues? 

Upcoming Meeting

The next meeting of the Affordable Housing Study Commission will be held February 12 and 13 in St. Petersburg.  The location of the meeting has not been determined at this time.

For more information regarding the work of the Affordable Housing Study Commission, please contact Isabel Cosio Carballo of Council staff or Marcus Hepburn, of DCA and Commission staff, at (850)922-1454.