HOW FLORIDA BROKE ITS PROMISE ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING
- Francesca
- Apr 8
- 3 min read
A Promise Made in 1992
was Florida passed a law called the Sadowski Act.
The idea was simple and fair:
When homes are bought and sold, real estate transaction fees are collected. That money would be set aside exclusively for affordable housing.
Not schools.Not roads.Not politics.
Housing.
For years, the system worked.
Families received housing assistance
Affordable homes were built
Aging and unsafe houses were repaired
Florida had a dedicated, self-funded solution to housing affordability — and it was working.
When the Promise Was Broken
Everything changed in 2002.
Florida politicians began taking money from the affordable housing trust funds and using it for unrelated expenses. This practice is known as “sweeping” the funds.
The governor at the time was Jeb Bush.
From that point forward, sweeping became routine. Year after year, money meant to help families afford a place to live was quietly redirected elsewhere.
Imagine saving money for a bike — only to have someone take it and buy something else, then tell you to just deal with it.
That’s exactly what happened to Florida families.
How Sweeping Housing Funds Fueled the Crisis
When affordable housing money was diverted:
Fewer affordable homes were built
Repairs to unsafe and aging homes stopped
Rental assistance programs were cut
Families were pushed out of their neighborhoods
At the same time, Florida’s population continued to grow.
More people needed housing — but the state stopped investing in it.
The predictable result:
Rents exploded
Home prices skyrocketed
Teachers, nurses, and service workers could no longer afford to live where they work
Seniors and veterans were displaced
Homelessness increased
This crisis was avoidable.
Florida already had the solution — and chose not to use it.
The Outrageous Truth
The money for affordable housing already exists.
It comes from real estate fees, not general tax revenue.
Yet politicians repeatedly took it anyway.
That wasn’t an accident.
That was a choice.
Call to Action #1: Keep Housing Money for Housing
Enough is enough.
We demand that 100% of all real estate fee revenue be used for affordable housing — every single year.
No sweeps.No loopholes.No excuses.
When housing funds are protected:
Families can stay in their homes
Workers can live in their communities
Seniors can age with dignity
Florida becomes fairer and stronger
Call to Action #2: Investigate Where the Money Went
Floridians deserve the truth.
We call for a full, public investigation into where affordable housing funds were swept and how they were spent.
Every dollar taken from housing should be tracked and explained.
Families lost homes. Rents skyrocketed. Communities suffered.
The public has a right to know who made these decisions and where the money went.
Accountability matters.Transparency matters.Housing matters.
Time to Keep the Promise
Florida made a promise in 1992.
It’s time to keep it —and to answer for breaking it
Call to Action #3: Vote for Change — Vote for Francesca
Broken promises don’t fix themselves.They are fixed when voters disrupt the system that allowed them.
If Florida is going to keep its promise on affordable housing, we need leaders who will refuse to sweep housing funds, demand transparency, and put families before politics.
That’s why this moment matters.
Vote for Francesca for Florida House District 1
Francesca represents a new generation of leadership — one that understands that housing is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.
By voting for Francesca, you are voting to:
Protect affordable housing funds from being stolen
Keep housing money dedicated to housing — every year
Hold politicians accountable for past and future decisions
Put working families, seniors, and veterans first
Disrupt politics as usual
This crisis was created by choices.It can be undone by choices too.
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