The Florida Senate

290.0311  Legislative findings.--The Legislature finds that:

(1)  Many of Florida's communities are exhibiting signs of the decline and deterioration of their economic, physical, and fiscal health, thereby reducing their desirability as places to live and work.

(2)  These communities are experiencing difficulties in the maintenance of their economic base and are exhibiting low or negative rates of job formation, high rates of unemployment, low rates of income increase, and a decreased capacity to compete for resources.

(3)  The decline of the economic base has resulted in the decreased ability of the community's residents to acquire and maintain adequate housing, resulting in the accelerated occurrence of substandard units and decreased construction of new housing.

(4)  The overall reduction of economic activity also impacts on the commercial viability of the community, further depressing employment opportunities and income, reducing the confidence of insurance providers, contributing to the disinvestment of established commercial areas, and retarding the development of new commercial enterprises.

(5)  This deterioration contributes to the decline of neighborhoods and surrounding areas, causes a reduction of the value of property comprising the tax base of local communities, and eventually requires the expenditure of disproportionate amounts of public funds for health, social services, and police protection to prevent the development of slums and the social and economic disruption found in slum communities.

(6)  The value of these areas is great, the result of years of financial and service investment which has created a base of physical facilities, including roads, utilities, public facilities, industrial and commercial structures, and homes, the replacement of which would require the expenditure of enormous resources and would cause the disruption of established neighborhoods and the diminution of community identity.

(7)  The preservation, restoration, redevelopment, and revitalization of such areas is a task of great importance and urgency which requires effective public action.

(8)  The development of policy and the establishment of priorities for redevelopment projects in these neighborhoods requires substantial advice and input from residents of the area, and the participation of area residents leads to increased community pride and awareness of redevelopment efforts.

(9)  The amount of public resources currently available or likely to be available in the future for the revitalization of Florida's distressed areas is grossly inadequate in proportion to the size of the problem.

(10)  A viable means of eliminating or reducing these deteriorating economic conditions and encouraging local resident participation and support is to provide support assistance and resource investment to community development corporations.

(11)  This section shall stand repealed on June 30, 1998.

History.--s. 2, ch. 80-250; s. 7, ch. 91-262.

Note.--Former s. 288.602.