HEALTH-TECH

104th Regular Session Introduced by Seth Lewis

The bill lets local SHIP funds cover mobile home lot-rental assistance as a homeownership activity, with a six-month rent cap and LHAP updates.

Referred to Assignments

Summary — CS/SB 1714 (Florida) — Local Housing Assistance Plans (mobile home lot rental assistance)

Status: Referred to Assignments (introduced Feb 27, 2025). Community Affairs Committee substitute reported favorably; favorably by Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism & Economic Development (4/10/25). Effective date: July 1, 2025 (if enacted). Introduced by: Community Affairs Committee; Senators Burton and Arrington.

Purpose / Intent

The bill requires counties and eligible municipalities that receive State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) funds to include a strategy in their Local Housing Assistance Plan (LHAP) to provide program funds to mobile home owners, explicitly authorizing lot‑rental assistance. The intent is to preserve mobile home residency and broaden allowable uses of SHIP funds to address mobile home affordability and repairs.

Key provisions

LHAP requirement: A local housing assistance plan must include a strategy for providing SHIP program funds to mobile home owners, including lot‑rental assistance.

Lot‑rental assistance classification: Lot rental assistance for mobile home owners is treated as a "homeownership activity" for purposes of allocating SHIP funds (i.e., counts toward homeownership set‑asides/percentages).

Mobile home repairs classification: Rehabilitation and emergency repairs for mobile homes are categorized as construction, rehabilitation, or emergency repair of affordable, eligible housing (counting toward the 75% construction/rehab/emergency repair requirement of SHIP).

Payment cap: Local governments may expend local SHIP distribution funds on lot‑rental assistance for mobile home owners for an amount not to exceed six months’ rent.

Effective date: July 1, 2025.

Who is affected

Mobile home owners (especially those facing lot rent increases, eviction risk from park closures, or in need of emergency repairs).

Counties and eligible municipalities participating in the SHIP program (must revise LHAPs and adjust fund uses).

Florida Housing Finance Corporation (FHFC), which reviews and must approve LHAPs, and administers SHIP oversight.

Program context and fiscal considerations

SHIP is funded from documentary stamp tax revenues and distributed quarterly to 67 counties and 52 eligible cities.

Existing statutory constraints: at least 75% of SHIP funds must be reserved for construction/rehab/emergency repair; up to 25% may be for rental services; at least 65% must serve homeownership activities, etc. Reclassifying lot‑rental assistance as a homeownership activity will affect how local governments satisfy those allocation thresholds.

The bill’s committee analyses note a fiscal impact section but do not attach a statewide appropriation; financial effects will depend on local LHAP choices and available SHIP balances.

Potential impacts and considerations

May help prevent displacement of mobile home residents and address urgent safety/repair needs.

Could shift local SHIP allocations (how localities meet homeownership and construction set‑asides).

Implementation requires LHAP updates and FHFC approval; local program design and prioritization will determine actual assistance delivered (including the six‑month cap per assistance instance).