CONGRATULATIONS TO THE "BEST OF THE REEF" WINNERS!

Previous & New President of the Chamber
Claude Kershner & Sam Persuad

EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR
JLM Painting & Waterproofing
Jorge L. Morales

GOLD
Going Aire
Bill & Dwayne Going

SILVER
Seaway Plumbing
Shawn Buck

BRONZE
Stevenson's Carpet Cleaning
Tim Downs

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ENHANCEMENT OF CHAMBER MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

OFFICE DEPOT / CHAMBER PROGRAM

GRACE YEUNG, ACCOUNT MANAGER

"Leverage the buying power of the Chamber
to reduce your office supplies" 

·         Save up to 90% off Manf. List Prices on over 15,000 items

·         A minimum 6% discount off the lowest price listed on office supplies, furniture, business machines, and promo items

·         Free next day delivery on in-stock items

·         In-store discounts

·         Access to private website for order placement

What You Should Know About Attainable Workforce Housing

Florida is experiencing a workforce housing crisis and solving that crisis will greatly improve our state’s business climate. Simply put, increasing the availability of attainable workforce housing will help employers retain and recruit employees and will increase business creation and expansion in Florida.

If employees can’t afford a home in Florida, they will choose to work and live someplace else – where the American dream of homeownership is attainable. That dream has been out of reach for many employees in recent years – the price of existing homes increased by 77 percent in Florida from 2002-2005, but median family income only increased by 1.4 percent. Wages in many Florida communities are growing at a much slower rate than the cost of housing.

Employers and housing experts cite the following concerns about a lack of attainable workforce housing:

• Rising housing costs make it difficult to retain and recruit skilled, entry-level and moderate-wage employees;
• A lack of workforce housing makes it difficult for communities to retain and attract businesses and jobs;
• A mismatch between jobs and housing has recently emerged – characterized by rapidly increasing housing costs and employees having to live farther and farther away from their jobs to find housing; and
• Housing costs have begun to increasingly affect moderate- and middle-income households.

If Florida doesn’t find solutions to the housing crisis soon, the cost to Florida taxpayers will steadily increase. More people move to Florida each year than any other state in the nation. Those new residents will need jobs and housing and we need to continue attracting the businesses that will employ them.

The Florida Chamber is fighting to repeal the cap on housing trust funds as one solution to the crisis. “We support full appropriation of the state and local housing trust fund monies for affordable housing and the repeal of the cap because it is good for Florida's families and good for Florida's economy,” said Mark Wilson, executive vice president, Florida Chamber.

Increasing the availability of attainable workforce housing is necessary if we want Florida to continue to be a place where employers want to do business and employees want to live and work. We continue to look for solutions to the attainable workforce housing crisis and are planning a forum on the issue this summer. More information about the event will be available in the coming months.

For more information about workforce issues:

www.floridachamber.com
136 South Bronough Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32301
(850) 521-1200