By The Miami Herald
“Florida is ranked No. 1 in the nation for the number of homes in foreclosure and the number of people on the verge of losing their homes.
But the Sunshine State is last in the nation when it comes to using the billions of dollars in available housing aid from a national mortgage settlement, according to a report released Thursday.
Six months after the nation’s largest banks signed a $25 billion mortgage settlement in the wake of the robo-signing scandal, Florida and Texas are the only states that have not outlined a plan for how to use their share.
About $300 million is sitting in an escrow account. Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Florida Legislature are haggling over who is legally entitled to spend it.
A report by Enterprise Community Partners found that most states are already using their portion to help homeowners through programs like mortgage counseling, neighborhood revitalization and legal assistance.
The settlement dictates that the money should be used specifically for housing-related issues, but Florida lawmakers could decide to put the money to other uses.
Bondi has said repeatedly that she wants to use the money for housing-related initiatives, and she believes she has the sole authority to decide.
Leaders in the Legislature believe they have the legal authority to decide how state funds are spent. Lawmakers have not ruled out using the money for non-housing issues.”
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