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  2         An act relating to housing; amending s.

  3         420.5092, F.S.; including housing for the

  4         homeless in eligible housing under the Florida

  5         Affordable Housing Guarantee Program;

  6         increasing the maximum amount of revenue bonds

  7         that may be issued by the Florida Housing

  8         Finance Corporation under said program;

  9         amending s. 420.5088, F.S.; revising

10         eligibility requirements for certain loans

11         under the Florida Homeownership Assistance

12         Program; amending s. 420.503, F.S.; revising

13         the definitions of "elderly" and "housing for

14         the elderly" under the Florida Housing Finance

15         Corporation Act; amending s. 760.29, F.S.;

16         providing that a facility or community claiming

17         an exemption from the Fair Housing Act with

18         respect to familial status for housing for

19         older persons shall register with the Florida

20         Commission on Human Relations and affirm

21         compliance with specified requirements;

22         providing for a registration fee; providing for

23         fines; amending s. 760.31, F.S.; providing for

24         rules; providing an effective date.

25

26  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

27

28         Section 1.  Paragraph (d) of subsection (2) and

29  subsection (11) of section 420.5092, Florida Statutes, are

30  amended to read:

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  1         420.5092  Florida Affordable Housing Guarantee

  2  Program.--

  3         (2)  As used in this section, the term:

  4         (d)  "Eligible housing" means any real and personal

  5  property designed and intended for the primary purpose of

  6  providing decent, safe, and sanitary residential units for

  7  homeownership or rental for eligible persons, including

  8  specifically housing for the homeless, as determined by the

  9  corporation pursuant to rule.

10         (11)  The maximum total amount of revenue bonds that

11  may be issued by the corporation pursuant to subsection (5) is

12  $400 $200 million.

13         Section 2.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section

14  420.5088, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

15         420.5088  Florida Homeownership Assistance

16  Program.--There is created the Florida Homeownership

17  Assistance Program for the purpose of assisting low-income

18  persons in purchasing a home by reducing the cost of the home

19  with below-market construction financing, by reducing the

20  amount of down payment and closing costs paid by the borrower

21  to a maximum of 5 percent of the purchase price, or by

22  reducing the monthly payment to an affordable amount for the

23  purchaser. Loans shall be made available at an interest rate

24  that does not exceed 3 percent. The balance of any loan is due

25  at closing if the property is sold or transferred.

26         (1)  For loans made available pursuant to s.

27  420.507(23)(a)1. or 2.:

28         (a)  The corporation may underwrite and make those

29  mortgage loans through the program to persons or families who

30  are eligible to participate in the corporation's single-family

31  mortgage revenue bond programs and who have incomes that do


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  1  not exceed 80 percent of the state or local median income,

  2  whichever is greater, adjusted for family size. If the

  3  corporation determines that there is insufficient demand for

  4  such loans by persons or families who are eligible to

  5  participate in the corporation's single-family mortgage

  6  revenue bond programs, the corporation may make such mortgage

  7  loans to other persons or families who have incomes that do

  8  not exceed 80 percent of the state or local median income,

  9  whichever amount is greater.

10         Section 3.  Subsections (15) and (19) of section

11  420.503, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:

12         420.503  Definitions.--As used in this part, the term:

13         (15)  "Elderly" means persons 62 years of age or older.

14  This definition shall not be deemed to prohibit housing from

15  being deemed housing for the elderly as defined by subsection

16  (19) if such housing otherwise meets the requirements of

17  subsection (19).

18         (19)  "Housing for the elderly" means, for purposes of

19  s. 420.5087(3)(c)2., any nonprofit housing community that is

20  financed by a mortgage loan made or insured by the United

21  States Department of Housing and Urban Development under s.

22  202, s. 202 with a s. 8 subsidy, s. 221(d)(3) or (4), or s.

23  236 of the National Housing Act, as amended, and that is

24  subject to income limitations established by the United States

25  Department of Housing and Urban Development, or any program

26  funded by the Rural Development Agency of the United States

27  Department of Agriculture and subject to income limitations

28  established by the United States Department of Agriculture. A

29  project which qualifies for an exemption under the Fair

30  Housing Act as housing for older persons as defined by s.

31  760.29(4) shall qualify as housing for the elderly for


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  1  purposes of s. 420.5087(3)(c)2. and for purposes of any loans

  2  made pursuant to s. 420.508.  In addition, if the corporation

  3  adopts a qualified allocation plan pursuant to s. 42(m)(1)(B)

  4  of the Internal Revenue Code or any other rules that

  5  prioritize projects targeting the elderly for purposes of

  6  allocating tax credits pursuant to s. 420.5099 or for purposes

  7  of the HOME program under s. 420.5089, a project which

  8  qualifies for an exemption under the Fair Housing Act as

  9  housing for older persons as defined by s. 760.29(4) shall

10  qualify as a project targeted for the elderly, if the project

11  satisfies the other requirements set forth in this part.

12         Section 4.  Paragraph (e) is added to subsection (4) of

13  section 760.29, Florida Statutes, to read:

14         760.29  Exemptions.--

15         (4)(a)  Any provision of ss. 760.20-760.37 regarding

16  familial status does not apply with respect to housing for

17  older persons.

18         (b)  As used in this subsection, the term "housing for

19  older persons" means housing:

20         1.  Provided under any state or federal program that

21  the commission determines is specifically designed and

22  operated to assist elderly persons, as defined in the state or

23  federal program;

24         2.  Intended for, and solely occupied by, persons 62

25  years of age or older; or

26         3.  Intended and operated for occupancy by persons 55

27  years of age or older that meets the following requirements:

28         a.  At least 80 percent of the occupied units are

29  occupied by at least one person 55 years of age or older.

30         b.  The housing facility or community publishes and

31  adheres to policies and procedures that demonstrate the intent


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  1  required under this subparagraph. If the housing facility or

  2  community meets the requirements of sub-subparagraphs a. and

  3  c. and the recorded governing documents provide for an adult,

  4  senior, or retirement housing facility or community and the

  5  governing documents lack an amendatory procedure, prohibit

  6  amendments, or restrict amendments until a specified future

  7  date, then that housing facility or community shall be deemed

  8  housing for older persons intended and operated for occupancy

  9  by persons 55 years of age or older. If those documents

10  further provide a prohibition against residents 16 years of

11  age or younger, that provision shall be construed, for

12  purposes of the Fair Housing Act, to only apply to residents

13  18 years of age or younger, in order to conform with federal

14  law requirements. Governing documents which can be amended at

15  a future date must be amended and properly recorded within 1

16  year after that date to reflect the requirements for

17  consideration as housing for older persons, if that housing

18  facility or community intends to continue as housing for older

19  persons.

20         c.  The housing facility or community complies with

21  rules made by the Secretary of the United States Department of

22  Housing and Urban Development pursuant to 24 C.F.R. part 100

23  for verification of occupancy, which rules provide for

24  verification by reliable surveys and affidavits and include

25  examples of the types of policies and procedures relevant to a

26  determination of compliance with the requirements of

27  sub-subparagraph b.  Such surveys and affidavits are

28  admissible in administrative and judicial proceedings for the

29  purposes of such verification.

30         (c)  Housing shall not fail to be considered housing

31  for older persons if:


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  1         1.  A person who resides in such housing on or after

  2  October 1, 1989, does not meet the age requirements of this

  3  subsection, provided that any new occupant meets such age

  4  requirements; or

  5         2.  One or more units are unoccupied, provided that any

  6  unoccupied units are reserved for occupancy by persons who

  7  meet the age requirements of this subsection.

  8         (d)  A person shall not be personally liable for

  9  monetary damages for a violation of this subsection if such

10  person reasonably relied in good faith on the application of

11  the exemption under this subsection relating to housing for

12  older persons. For purposes of this paragraph, a person may

13  show good faith reliance on the application of the exemption

14  only by showing that:

15         1.  The person has no actual knowledge that the

16  facility or the community is ineligible, or will become

17  ineligible, for such exemption; and

18         2.  The facility or community has stated formally, in

19  writing, that the facility or community complies with the

20  requirements for such exemption.

21         (e)  A facility or community claiming an exemption

22  under this subsection shall register with the commission and

23  submit a letter to the commission stating that the facility or

24  community complies with the requirements of subparagraph

25  (b)1., subparagraph (b)2., or subparagraph (b)3. The letter

26  shall be submitted on the letterhead of the facility or

27  community and shall be signed by the president of the facility

28  or community.  This registration and documentation shall be

29  renewed biennially from the date of original filing. The

30  information in the registry shall be made available to the

31  public, and the commission shall include this information on


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  1  an Internet website. The commission may establish a reasonable

  2  registration fee, not to exceed $20, that shall be deposited

  3  into the commission's trust fund to defray the administrative

  4  costs associated with maintaining the registry.  The

  5  commission may impose an administrative fine, not to exceed

  6  $500, on a facility or community that knowingly submits false

  7  information in the documentation required by this paragraph.

  8  Such fines shall be deposited in the commission's trust fund.

  9  The registration and documentation required by this paragraph

10  shall not substitute for proof of compliance with the

11  requirements of this subsection.  Failure to comply with the

12  requirements of this paragraph shall not disqualify a facility

13  or community that otherwise qualifies for the exemption

14  provided in this subsection.

15

16  A county or municipal ordinance regarding housing for older

17  persons may not contravene the provisions of this subsection.

18         Section 5.  Subsection (5) of section 760.31, Florida

19  Statutes, is amended to read:

20         760.31  Powers and duties of commission.--The

21  commission shall:

22         (5)  Adopt rules necessary to implement ss.

23  760.20-760.37 and govern the proceedings of the commission in

24  accordance with chapter 120.  Commission rules shall clarify

25  terms used with regard to handicapped accessibility,

26  exceptions from accessibility requirements based on terrain or

27  site characteristics, and requirements related to housing for

28  older persons. Commission rules shall specify the fee and the

29  forms and procedures to be used for the registration required

30  by s. 760.29(4)(e).

31         Section 6.  This act shall take effect October 1, 2001.


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