02/11/2024 1:43 AM

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Proposed Amendment Would Help Hometown Heroes

Florida Realtors will back a proposed condition constitutional amendment that presents entrance-line personnel, such as police and academics, a assets tax split.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Realtors® introduced it would assist a proposed constitutional amendment – HJR 1/SJR 1746, reinforcing its determination to make housing more reasonably priced for some of Florida’s most focused employees.

The proposed constitutional amendment grants an added homestead exemption for teachers, firefighters, law enforcement officers and other Floridians who have selflessly helped the state’s people through the COVID-19 pandemic. If permitted by the Florida Legislature, the evaluate would go on the normal election ballot as a proposed constitutional modification.

“For many years, Florida Realtors and its extra than 225,000 associates have been vocal advocates for affordable housing,” states Florida Realtors President Christina Pappas. “Our point out owes so a lot to the focused gentlemen and ladies who have performed so considerably for us. HJR 1 and SJR 1746 will support by furnishing substantially-necessary residence tax reduction to hometown heroes in our point out.”

In mild of escalating housing prices, Florida Realtors has also supported the creation of a Florida Hometown Hero Housing Program (SB 788). If permitted by the Florida Legislature and signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, it would offer you zero-desire financial loans and aid with down payments and closing expenditures for important professions which includes nurses, firefighters, instructors and legislation enforcement.

Pappas counseled Florida Residence and Senate leadership for proposing HJR 1/SJR 1746, which would support lots of hometown heroes who by now have a house.

“HJR 1/SJR 1746 and SB 788 pair properly jointly and make a powerful statement to the guys and ladies who serve our point out, our communities and our state that we assistance them. We want to make certain they have a chance of accomplishing the American dream of homeownership,” states Pappas.

HJR 1, sponsored by Rep. Josie Tomkow and the Techniques & Means Committee, and SJR 1746, sponsored by Sen. Jason Brodeur and the Finance and Tax Committee, would boost the homestead exemption on non-college levies for residence owned by instructors, regulation enforcement officers, correctional officers, firefighters, little one welfare services pros, lively-duty associates of the U.S. army and members of the Florida Countrywide Guard.

According to Florida Realtors data, the median sale cost of a Florida household was just under $374,000 at the stop of very last 12 months – 21% increased than just a single 12 months earlier and 47% better in just three several years. The common salary in a lot of of the specific occupations is significantly less than what would be necessary to manage these kinds of a household.

“These committed hometown heroes have served Floridians non-quit via the pandemic,” Pappas states. “However, amid skyrocketing housing expenditures, quite a few find that they just cannot find the money for to live in the communities they serve. Our objective is to make homeownership more affordable for them, and we look ahead to doing the job with lawmakers to give these personnel a supporting hand.”

© 2022 Florida Realtors®