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A bill to be entitled

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An act relating to affordable housing; amending s.

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420.5087, F.S.; requiring the scoring system for

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applications submitted to the State Apartment Incentive

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Loan Program to include specified projects in its

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criteria; providing an effective date.

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

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     Section 1.  Paragraph (c) of subsection (6) of section

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420.5087, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

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     420.5087  State Apartment Incentive Loan Program.--There is

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hereby created the State Apartment Incentive Loan Program for the

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purpose of providing first, second, or other subordinated

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mortgage loans or loan guarantees to sponsors, including for-

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profit, nonprofit, and public entities, to provide housing

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affordable to very-low-income persons.

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     (6)  On all state apartment incentive loans, except loans

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made to housing communities for the elderly to provide for

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lifesafety, building preservation, health, sanitation, or

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security-related repairs or improvements, the following

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provisions shall apply:

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     (c)  The corporation shall provide by rule for the

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establishment of a review committee composed of the department

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and corporation staff and shall establish by rule a scoring

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system for evaluation and competitive ranking of applications

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submitted in this program, including, but not limited to, the

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following criteria:

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     1.  Tenant income and demographic targeting objectives of

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the corporation.

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     2.  Targeting objectives of the corporation which will

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ensure an equitable distribution of loans between rural and urban

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areas.

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     3.  Sponsor's agreement to reserve the units for persons or

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families who have incomes below 50 percent of the state or local

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median income, whichever is higher, for a time period to exceed

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the minimum required by federal law or the provisions of this

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part.

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     4.  Sponsor's agreement to reserve more than:

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     a.  Twenty percent of the units in the project for persons

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or families who have incomes that do not exceed 50 percent of the

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state or local median income, whichever is higher; or

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     b.  Forty percent of the units in the project for persons or

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families who have incomes that do not exceed 60 percent of the

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state or local median income, whichever is higher, without

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requiring a greater amount of the loans as provided in this

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section.

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     5.  Provision for tenant counseling.

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     6.  Sponsor's agreement to accept rental assistance

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certificates or vouchers as payment for rent.

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     7.  Projects requiring the least amount of a state apartment

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incentive loan compared to overall project cost except that the

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share of the loan attributable to units serving extremely-low-

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income persons shall be excluded from this requirement.

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     8.  Local government contributions and local government

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comprehensive planning and activities that promote affordable

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housing.

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     9.  Project feasibility.

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     10.  Economic viability of the project.

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     11.  Commitment of first mortgage financing.

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     12.  Sponsor's prior experience.

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     13.  Sponsor's ability to proceed with construction.

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     14.  Projects that directly implement or assist welfare-to-

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work transitioning.

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     15.  Projects that reserve units for extremely-low-income

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persons.

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     16. Projects that include green-building principles, storm-

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resistant construction, or other elements that reduce long-term

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costs relating to maintenance, utilities, or insurance.

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     Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2008.