Senate Bill 78 Could Cut Miami Affordable Housing Funds by 15 Percent, Local Advocates Warn

A bill advancing through the state legislature would shrink the pool of local property tax dollars available for affordable housing in Miami-Dade County, potentially slowing the construction of new units and extending wait times for rental vouchers, policy analysts and housing advocates said Friday.

Senate Bill 78, introduced June 29 and expected to reach a floor vote by mid-August, would cap the share of local property tax revenue that cities and counties can allocate to affordable housing trust funds at 5 percent of overall spending, down from the current 10 percent floor set by the 2023 Save Our Neighborhoods Act. The bill's text states the change is intended to “ensure fiscal balance” by freeing up revenue for other municipal services such as public safety and road maintenance.

The legislation comes as Miami-Dade County faces an estimated shortage of 120,000 affordable rental units, based on a 2025 county housing needs assessment. The county’s Housing Finance Authority spent roughly $210 million from local property tax sources on housing programs in the 2025-26 fiscal year, according to county budget documents. If the cap were in place, that figure would have been about $105 million-a cut of $105 million.

Local Impact on Waitlists and Construction Timelines

“That kind of reduction would directly translate into a smaller pipeline of new units and longer waits for people who are already on the voucher list,” said Elena Torres, a policy analyst with the Miami-Dade Housing Coalition. “We’re talking about a program that currently has more than 25,000 households on the waitlist, and the average wait time is already three years.”

The county’s housing trust fund has financed roughly 1,400 new affordable units per year over the past three budget cycles, according to the Housing Finance Authority’s annual report. Local advocates project that number could drop to about 900 units annually if SB 78 becomes law, based on the reduced funding level.

Miami resident Carlos Ruiz, 48, a warehouse worker who has been on the county’s Section 8 waitlist since 2023, said he worries the bill will push affordable housing further out of reach. “I pay $1,450 a month for a one-bedroom in Hialeah now, which is more than half my paycheck. Every year it gets harder,” Ruiz said. “If they take money away, I don’t see how that helps anyone who’s trying to keep a roof over their head.”

The bill does include a provision that would allow local governments to exceed the 5 percent cap by a two-thirds vote of the county commission. However, that opt-out mechanism has drawn caution from some advocates, who note it creates an extra political hurdle not present under current law.

What Happens Next

The Senate Committee on Appropriations is scheduled to take up SB 78 on July 18, according to the legislature’s online calendar. If it passes out of committee, the bill could reach the full Senate floor by the first week of August. A companion measure, House Bill 204, has not yet been assigned to a committee.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava’s office declined to comment on pending legislation. The Florida League of Cities has registered opposition to the bill, calling it a “preemption of local spending discretion.” No public hearings have been announced beyond the committee stage.

For now, housing caseworkers at the county’s main office in Little Havana say they are fielding more calls from renters who have heard about the proposal through news reports. “People are scared,” said Maria Santos, a program coordinator who manages the waiting list. “They ask me, ‘Am I going to lose my spot?’ I tell them the truth, no one knows yet. But it doesn’t look promising.”