Orlando tax break surge

The Legislature approved House Bill 1389 on March 13, 2026; the measure passed the House 98–4 and the Senate 35–0 and is slated to take effect July 1, 2026 unless vetoed. (bilzin.com; flsenate.gov) (bilzin.com) A key change in HB 1389 moves vesting of the Live Local property‑tax exemption to the date a building permit is issued — a lender‑driven fix meant to remove years‑long uncertainty that stalled financing. (bisnow.com; bilzin.com) (bisnow.com) The statute continues to offer up to a 100% exemption for units at or below 80% AMI and a 75% exemption for units up to 120% AMI, and the “missing middle” exemption targets projects with more than 70 affordable units that commit affordability for 30 years. (flhousing.org; bilzin.com) (flhousing.org) Statewide filings tied to Live Local now show roughly 182 proposed projects totaling about 55,000 units, with 6,316 units in 14 projects already under construction; Orange County ranks among the top five counties for proposed Live Local projects. (jdsupra.com) (jdsupra.com) HB 1389 also expands eligible land: qualifying county, municipal, or school‑district parcels can host Live Local projects, and the law now allows developments on certain religious‑institution properties larger than three acres that have housed a worship facility for at least 10 years. (fl-counties.com; stearnsweaver.com) (fl-counties.com) Local developers and mission‑driven groups that have previously proposed Orlando projects — including Elmington Capital Group, Lincoln Avenue Communities and Wendover Housing Partners — are among those positioned to benefit from the clarified exemptions and earlier vesting; Orlando itself had moved to opt out of parts of Live Local in 2024, a dynamic the new opt‑out rules tighten. (floridayimby.com; prnewswire.com; wendovergroup.com; cfpublic.org) (floridayimby.com)