Proposal to eliminate Hillsborough Housing Fund Sparks Outcry and a Party-Line Vote

A proposal by County Commissioner Chris Boles to eliminate Hillsborough County’s only dedicated affordable housing fund advanced on a party-line vote Wednesday, drawing fierce opposition from housing advocates and community leaders.

The proposal would dismantle the $10 million HOPE Affordable Housing Fund, created by the county in partnership with the multi-faith coalition HOPE – Hillsborough Organization for Progress and Equality. The fund was established through the HOPE Affordable Housing Act to build homes for working families and seniors on fixed incomes.

Commissioner Boles, who holds a countywide seat, argues that the funds should be redirected to public safety — but critics say that’s a false choice.

“Commissioner Boles wants to lead the Commission to take all the money away from affordable housing,” former County Commissioner Mariella Smith wrote in a Facebook post ahead of the vote. “He says he wants to spend that money on ‘public safety,’ but that is a false choice. We can fund both public safety and affordable housing.”

The county’s adopted FY25 budget exceeds $10.3 billion, with more than $1.3 billion already allocated for public safety. Smith and other opponents contend that reallocating the comparatively modest $10 million housing fund would do little to boost safety but could deal a major blow to the region’s affordable housing pipeline.

After an outpouring of public comment and emails urging the commission to preserve the fund, the board voted 5-2 along party lines to move the proposal forward. All five Republican commissioners supported advancing the measure; Democratic Commissioners Harry Cohen and Gwen Myers opposed it.

“We lost on a party line vote — for now,” Smith wrote in a follow-up statement. “They’ll need a public hearing later to seal the deal, so stay tuned, and keep telling the commissioners your thoughts on this issue. It’s important they know people care deeply about this, and we’re watching them, and will be voting accordingly.”

HOPE and other advocacy groups are urging residents to remain engaged ahead of the required public hearing, the date of which has not yet been announced.

The measure appears as Item F-1 on the May 21 meeting agenda. The public can find the full agenda and details on how to speak at future meetings on the Hillsborough County Commission website.