Discretionary surtax on documents; adoption; application of revenue.

(1) Pursuant to the provisions of s. 201.031, the governing authority in each county, as defined by s. 125.011(1), is authorized to levy a discretionary surtax on documents for the purpose of establishing and financing a Housing Assistance Loan Trust Fund to assist in the financing of construction, rehabilitation, or purchase of housing for low-income and moderate-income families. No less than 50 percent of the funds used in each county to provide such housing assistance shall be for the benefit of low-income families. For the purpose of this section, “low-income family” means a family whose income does not exceed 80 percent of the median income for the area, and “moderate-income family” means a family whose income is in excess of 80 percent but less than 140 percent of the median income for the area. For purposes of this section, the term “housing” is not limited to single-family, detached dwellings. The rate of the surtax shall not exceed the rate of 45 cents for each $100 or fractional part thereof of the consideration therefor. Such surtax shall apply only to those documents taxable under s. 201.02, except that there shall be no surtax on any document pursuant to which the interest granted, assigned, transferred, or conveyed involves only a single-family residence. Such single-family residence may be a condominium unit, a unit held through stock ownership or membership representing a proprietary interest in a corporation owning a fee or a leasehold initially in excess of 98 years, or a detached dwelling.

(2) The levy of the discretionary surtax and the creation of a Housing Assistance Loan Trust Fund shall be by ordinance which shall set forth the policies and procedures of the assistance program. The ordinance shall be proposed at a regular meeting of the governing authority at least 2 weeks prior to formal adoption. Formal adoption shall not be effective unless approved on final vote by a majority of the total membership of the governing authority. The ordinance shall not take effect until 90 days after formal adoption.

(3) The county shall deposit revenues from the discretionary surtax in the Housing Assistance Loan Trust Fund of the county, except that a portion of such revenues may be deposited into the Home Investment Trust Fund of the county as defined by and created pursuant to the requirements of federal law. The county shall use the revenues only to help finance the construction, rehabilitation, or purchase of housing for low-income families and moderate-income families, to pay necessary costs of collection and enforcement of the surtax, and to fund any local matching contributions required pursuant to federal law. For purposes of this section, authorized uses of the revenues include, but are not limited to, providing funds for first and second mortgages and acquiring property for the purpose of forming housing cooperatives. Special consideration shall be given toward using the revenues in the neighborhood economic development programs of community development corporations. No more than 50 percent of the revenues collected each year pursuant to this section may be used to help finance new construction as provided herein. The proceeds of the surtax shall not be used for rent subsidies or grants.

(4) No more than 10 percent of surtax revenues collected under this section by the Department of Revenue and remitted to the county in any fiscal year may be used for administrative costs.

(5)(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (3), of the discretionary surtax revenues collected by the Department of Revenue remaining after any deduction for administrative costs as provided in subsection (4), no less than 35 percent shall be used to provide homeownership assistance for low-income and moderate-income families, and no less than 35 percent shall be used for construction, rehabilitation, and purchase of rental housing units. The remaining amount may be allocated to provide for homeownership assistance or rental housing units, at the discretion of the county. Any funds allocated for homeownership assistance or rental housing units that are not committed at the end of the fiscal year shall be reallocated in subsequent years consistent with the provisions of this subsection, in that no less than 35 percent shall be reallocated to provide homeownership assistance for low-income and moderate-income families, and no less than 35 percent shall be reallocated for construction, rehabilitation, and purchase of rental housing units. The remaining amount of uncommitted funds may be reallocated at the discretion of the county within any of the categories established in this subsection.

(b) For purposes of this subsection, the term “homeownership assistance” means assisting low-income and moderate-income families in purchasing a home as their primary residence, including, but not limited to, reducing the cost of the home with below-market construction financing, the amount of down payment and closing costs paid by the borrower, or the mortgage payment to an affordable amount for the purchaser or using any other financial assistance measure set forth in s. 420.5088.

(c) A county may not impose any requirement as a condition to receiving any financial assistance on a borrower other than requiring proof that the borrower’s income does not exceed 140 percent of the area median income. In addition to the income eligibility requirement, borrowers may only be subject to loan qualifications of lenders licensed to provide mortgage financing as to the amount of the loan. A county may not create requirements that restrict participation by eligible borrowers.

(6) Rehabilitation of housing owned by a recipient government may be authorized only after a determination approved by a majority of the governing body that no other sources of funds are available.

(7)(a) The governing body of each county as defined in s. 125.011(1) may, by county ordinance and pursuant to procedures and requirements provided by such ordinance, create a housing choice assistance voucher program.

(b) For purposes of this subsection, the term:

1. “Housing choice assistance voucher” means the document used to access assistance paid by the county from the discretionary surtax balance in the Housing Assistance Trust Fund to a prospective purchaser of a single-family residence, which must be the purchaser’s homestead.

2. “Purchasing employer” means a business or business entity that has acquired real property within the county and paid the surtax due as a result of the acquisition of that property pursuant to this section.

(c) Housing choice assistance vouchers shall be used for down payment assistance for the purchase of a single-family residence by low-income or moderate-income persons within the county and within a 5-mile radius of the purchasing employer who are:

1. Actively employed by the purchasing employer or by a business entity directly affiliated with the purchasing employer.

2. Prequalified for a mortgage loan by a certified lending institution.

(d) Upon payment of the discretionary surtax pursuant to this section, the purchasing employer may file for an allocation for housing choice assistance vouchers from the county in an amount not to exceed 50 percent of the amount of the discretionary surtax paid. The purchasing employer shall distribute the allocation to employees in the form of housing choice assistance vouchers pursuant to rules and procedures established for the program.

(e) Any housing choice assistance voucher allocation not distributed to employees and redeemed by an employee within 1 year after the date the discretionary surtax is paid may not be used for housing choice assistance vouchers under this subsection.

(f) Any housing assistance paid pursuant to the housing choice assistance voucher program shall be included in the calculation determining the percentage of discretionary surtax funds used for homeownership purposes during the year in which the surtax funds for such purposes are expended.

(8) By June 30, 2012, and every 5 years thereafter, the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability shall review the discretionary surtax program operated by counties under this section and shall provide a report to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.