Hillsborough moves to ax housing fund used after Milton as hurricane season looms
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Hillsborough County wants to scrap an affordable housing fund it relied on to help those Hurricane Milton displaced.
Why it matters: The HOPE trust fund remains one of the county's few lifelines for residents left homeless by natural disasters, and Republican commissioners want to ax it ahead of hurricane season this year.
Catch up quick: The Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners created the HOPE trust fund and pledged to set aside $10 million every year while under a Democratic majority in 2019.
- The trust fund provides housing for the county's poorest residents and allows commissioners to divert some of its funds toward "another urgent community need."
- The commissioners withdrew $5.6 million from the trust fund in October for disaster relief, with up to 10% set aside for hotel stays and security deposits for those affected.
Zoom in: Commissioner Chris Boles (R) introduced a motion to divert all new funds away from the HOPE trust fund and toward "public safety purposes," specifically naming fire rescue and the sheriff's office.
- Commissioner Joshua Wostal (R) pushed for the trust fund to be fully rescinded, arguing it is "anti-democratic on its face" because it binds money to a sole purpose outside the discretion of current or future commissioners.
- Boles replaced his motion with one from Wostal, and the board voted 5-2 to rescind the trust fund, with the issue set to return for a public hearing at a later date.
Boles did not respond to a request for comment from Axios.
- Asked whether he had concerns about ending the trust fund ahead of hurricane season, Wostal told Axios: "Nope, I'm celebrating reducing the property taxes for 440,000 residents."
The other side: Commissioner Harry Cohen (D) voted against the motion, noting the board has the authority to decide how these funds are allocated, like it did last year, after Milton.
Between the lines: Given how susceptible Florida is to storms, experts say more money is needed in funds like these to support affordable housing, since those who rely on it are most vulnerable after disasters.