Florida Gov. DeSantis and DEO Announce $140 Million for New Affordable Housing Construction in Hurricane Irma Impacted Communities

MARATHON, Florida, June 20 -- The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity issued the following news:

Today, Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) announced an agreement with the Florida Housing Finance Corporation (Florida Housing), providing $140 million for the construction of new affordable workforce housing to help address housing shortages worsened by Hurricane Irma. This funding is awarded by DEO's Rebuild Florida program and will be administered by Florida Housing.

"I'm proud to announce $140 million in funding to assist Floridians recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Irma," said Governor DeSantis. "Communities across our state have demonstrated incredible resilience following recent natural disasters and my administration remains committed to assisting in recovery efforts with all available resources."

"Under Governor DeSantis' leadership, we have prioritized the rebuilding of Florida's communities impacted by Hurricane Irma," said Ken Lawson, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. "The Rebuild Florida Workforce Housing Program is a critical step to help these communities and address affordable workforce housing shortages exacerbated by Hurricane Irma."

"Florida Housing is honored to work with the Department of Economic Opportunity and Governor DeSantis to address the severe housing needs of those families devastated by Hurricane Irma," said Florida Housing Executive Director Trey Price. "The CDBG disaster recovery funding will be paired with other resources to help rebuild rental housing stock in the Florida Keys and other areas of Florida hard hit by this widespread storm."

Through this agreement, the Rebuild Florida Workforce Housing Program will provide $140 million to fund the creation of quality resilient affordable housing units. Florida Housing will launch a competitive application cycle, allowing housing developers and public housing authorities with experience in the development and management of rental properties to apply for funding. Local governments may partner with these entities to apply for funds.

Any proposed developments must help address the unmet recovery needs in the federally identified most-impacted and distressed areas. All developments funded will be required to meet the following criteria:

* Green Building Standards

* Energy Efficiency Standards

* Accessibility and Visitability Standards

* Resiliency Standards

Additional information on the Rebuild Florida Workforce Housing Program can be found in the State of Florida Action Plan for Disaster Recovery. Rebuild Florida, a partnership of DEO and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, launched in September 2018 to use federal funding for Florida's long-term disaster recovery efforts. For more information, visit RebuildFlorida.gov.