MIAMI-DADE

Local legislators go 1 for 2 on housing bills

Two affordable housing proposals came before the Legislature Friday, but only one passed both houses.

BY LAURA FIGUEROA

lfigueroa@MiamiHerald.com

TALLAHASSEE -- In the last day of the legislative session, Miami-Dade lawmakers went one-for-two on affordable housing bills they've pushed throughout the 60-day session.

The Legislature passed an affordable housing bill sponsored by Sen. Rudy García, a Hialeah Republican, that changes requirements to let people with higher incomes qualify for affordable-housing grants in areas with high living costs.

But the Legislature failed to pass a bill to expand the deadline of a county-imposed document tax that generates affordable housing dollars for Miami-Dade.

That measure passed out of the House, where it was sponsored by Rep. Carlos Lopez-Cantera, a Miami Republican, but died in the Senate, where it wasn't a priority for Senate leaders to schedule a final vote.

Miami-Dade legislators will still have three years to try to get the measure approved, since the provision allowing for the tax doesn't expire until 2011.

Still, they may face a harder time getting the bill to move, considering they will no longer have one of their own -- Marco Rubio, a West Miami Republican -- serving in the influential role of House Speaker.

''We were disappointed it didn't pass because it was a high priority issue for us,'' said Miami Dade Delegation Chairman Rep. Juan Zapata, a Miami Republican. ``Unfortunately, this process deals with two chambers. It's like a bird, if only one wing is moving, it's not going to fly.''