The time to fix the growing affordable housing problem is now. From rural communities in the Panhandle to the metropolitan areas of South Florida -- whether it's apartment rentals or home purchases -- residents deserve the right to have access to fair, decent and affordable housing.

The quintessential American dream has always been to own a home. Unfortunately, for Floridians, this dream has morphed into a nightmare that has left too many of us out on the front stoop. That's why the Florida League of Cities has led the charge in forming a powerful coalition and created the Florida League of Cities Institute for Community Housing (ICH), an undertaking that we hope will become a model for the rest of the nation.

This landmark initiative was shaped with the concerns of citizens in mind. Half the battle in creating affordable communities lies in knowing where to begin and what resources exist to help local governments achieve their housing goals. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to the affordable-housing crisis, but the ICH is designed to ensure that cities have the knowledge and tools to define their role in addressing this crisis. The ICH's mission is to expose municipal elected officials and their housing staff to the latest tools, trends and funding resources geared toward successful affordable community-housing development.

The ICH is holding a series of eight full-day educational seminars for local government officials -- the second took place yesterday in Orlando. The seminars, facilitated by national and state housing experts, were developed by the Florida League of Cities in conjunction with National League of Cities, the Florida Department of Community Affairs, the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, the Florida Housing Coalition and the John Scott Dailey Florida Institute of Government.

Through these seminars, the ICH is providing local officials access to the most current information and innovative techniques necessary to address their community-housing needs. This program is a step in the right direction to ensure that homeownership remains an obtainable dream. In fact, for most Americans, home ownership is considered a basic part of adult life and a wise investment.

In Florida today, residents are being priced out of the housing market, and rents consume larger portions of their paychecks. In Miami, Jacksonville, Orlando and other cities statewide, a full-time worker must earn upward of $14 an hour -- more than twice the minimum wage -- to afford an average two-bedroom apartment or more than $12 an hour to afford a one-bedroom unit.

Housing costs continue to rise, while wages lag behind. Even middle-income families earning $50,000 to $75,000 a year feel the pinch of escalating home prices. According to the Florida Housing Coalition, the median existing home price increased 77 percent from 2002 to 2005, while the median family income increased only 1.4 percent during the same time frame. As home prices balloon, fewer and fewer Floridians are able to afford a home.

The federal government defines affordable housing as housing that costs 30 percent or less of the household income. A 2002 study by the Research Institute on Social and Economic Policy at Florida International University found that nearly one quarter of all homeowners in Florida experience a cost burden, which occurs when a household spends more than 30 percent of its income on housing.

Hillsborough County is a prime example. More than one in four Hillsborough County families is spending more than the federally recommended amount of their income on housing, leaving little for medical expenses, clothing, food, transportation and retirement savings.

An economic haven

In St. Petersburg, affordable homes range from $155,000 to $210,000. This proposes a dilemma to persons earning a minimum wage; one would need to earn $15 per hour or more to afford a home in this price range. And for some, this wage would still require a second income, depending upon other obligations. Who could possibly enjoy owning a home when working around the clock is required to obtain and keep one?

State government has worked hard to position Florida as an economic haven that attracts potential businesses and bright talent. Other states compete for the same jobs that Florida seeks. Florida's private and public-sector employers also compete with other states to hire talented people. If potential employees can't afford to live where they work, not only does the employee suffer, so does the economy.

Local governments and their elected officials must continue to search for innovative solutions to increase access to home ownership. Formation of the ICH is a bold new step in the right direction.

Rene Flowers is president of the Florida League of Cities and vice chair of the St. Petersburg City Council.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/opinion/16145922.htm