Florida Chamber Urges Senate Committee to Support SB 874
To: Senate Community Affairs Committee
The Florida Chamber of Commerce urges you to support SB 874, related to State Funds. This bill, sponsored by Senator Kathleen Passidomo, will be heard on Tuesday, January 16th, in the Senate Community Affairs Committee.
The Florida Chamber Foundation is in the midst of a 3-year research initiative to create Florida’s strategic plan through the year 2030. The Florida 2030 project dives into critical issues impacting Florida’s economy to not only identify coming trends and disruptions, but also recommendations on how the state can secure a thriving and dynamic future. As part of the Florida 2030 research efforts, the Florida Chamber Foundation conducted a series of town halls which engaged more than 10,000 residents from Florida’s 67 counties with the goal of understanding the concerns of businesses and citizens. Overwhelmingly, the top concern across the state was the availability and affordability of attainable workforce housing. Affordability of housing is a top constraining force on Florida’s economy. Simply, a job applicant has to be able to afford to live near their prospective job, or else jobs remain vacant and our economy is less rich. This bill is supported by Florida’s business community because it:
- Ensures that the State and Local Housing Trust fund is used for its intended purpose; and
- Helps make affordable housing more accessible to Floridians.
The Florida Chamber urges you to support SB 874, and will consider votes on this legislation, and any substantive amendments to it in committee or on the floor, in our annual How They Voted report card. The grade that you earn will be based on your voting record on the issues, such as this one, that are outlined in Where We Stand, a guide to Florida’s 2018 Business Agenda. We will make every effort to notify you prior to a vote that may be included in our annual legislative report card. If you have any questions about this or other issues on the 2018 Business Agenda, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Regards,
Frank C. Walker, III
Vice President of Government Affairs