The Florida Senate

Each county or eligible municipality participating in the State Housing Initiatives Partnership Program, including a municipality receiving program funds through the county, or an eligible municipality must, within 12 months after the original adoption of the local housing assistance plan, amend the plan to include local housing incentive strategies as defined in s. 420.9071(16).

The governing board of a county or municipality shall appoint the members of the affordable housing advisory committee by resolution. Pursuant to the terms of any interlocal agreement, a county and municipality may create and jointly appoint an advisory committee to prepare a joint plan. The ordinance adopted pursuant to s. 420.9072 which creates the advisory committee or the resolution appointing the advisory committee members must provide for 11 committee members and their terms. The committee must include:

If a county or eligible municipality whether due to its small size, the presence of a conflict of interest by prospective appointees, or other reasonable factor, is unable to appoint a citizen actively engaged in these activities in connection with affordable housing, a citizen engaged in the activity without regard to affordable housing may be appointed. Local governments that receive the minimum allocation under the State Housing Initiatives Partnership Program may elect to appoint an affordable housing advisory committee with fewer than 11 representatives if they are unable to find representatives who meet the criteria of paragraphs (a)-(k).

All meetings of the advisory committee are public meetings, and all committee records are public records. Staff, administrative, and facility support to the advisory committee shall be provided by the appointing county or eligible municipality.

Triennially, the advisory committee shall review the established policies and procedures, ordinances, land development regulations, and adopted local government comprehensive plan of the appointing local government and shall recommend specific actions or initiatives to encourage or facilitate affordable housing while protecting the ability of the property to appreciate in value. The recommendations may include the modification or repeal of existing policies, procedures, ordinances, regulations, or plan provisions; the creation of exceptions applicable to affordable housing; or the adoption of new policies, procedures, regulations, ordinances, or plan provisions, including recommendations to amend the local government comprehensive plan and corresponding regulations, ordinances, and other policies. At a minimum, each advisory committee shall submit a report to the local governing body that includes recommendations on, and triennially thereafter evaluates the implementation of, affordable housing incentives in the following areas:

The advisory committee recommendations may also include other affordable housing incentives identified by the advisory committee. Local governments that receive the minimum allocation under the State Housing Initiatives Partnership Program shall perform the initial review but may elect to not perform the triennial review.

The approval by the advisory committee of its local housing incentive strategies recommendations and its review of local government implementation of previously recommended strategies must be made by affirmative vote of a majority of the membership of the advisory committee taken at a public hearing. Notice of the time, date, and place of the public hearing of the advisory committee to adopt its evaluation and final local housing incentive strategies recommendations must be published in a newspaper of general paid circulation in the county. The notice must contain a short and concise summary of the evaluation and local housing incentives strategies recommendations to be considered by the advisory committee. The notice must state the public place where a copy of the evaluation and tentative advisory committee recommendations can be obtained by interested persons. The final report, evaluation, and recommendations shall be submitted to the corporation.

Within 90 days after the date of receipt of the evaluation and local housing incentive strategies recommendations from the advisory committee, the governing body of the appointing local government shall adopt an amendment to its local housing assistance plan to incorporate the local housing incentive strategies it will implement within its jurisdiction. The amendment must include, at a minimum, the local housing incentive strategies required under s. 420.9071(16). The local government must consider the strategies specified in paragraphs (4)(a)-(k) as recommended by the advisory committee.

The governing board of the county or the eligible municipality shall notify the corporation by certified mail of its adoption of an amendment of its local housing assistance plan to incorporate local housing incentive strategies. The notice must include a copy of the approved amended plan.

The advisory committee may perform other duties at the request of the local government, including:

The advisory committee shall be cooperatively staffed by the local government department or division having authority to administer local planning or housing programs to ensure an integrated approach to the work of the advisory committee.