FL H1297

Excludes areas of critical state concern (primarily the Florida Keys) from certain county and municipal affordable housing zoning and land use provisions under ss. 125.01055 and 166.04151, F.S.

Allows housing units in the Florida Keys Area and Key West Area of Critical State Concern to qualify for ad valorem property tax exemptions of up to 100% of assessed value for single-family homes and duplexes used as affordable rental housing, first applying to the 2025 tax roll.

Requires the City of Key West Area of Critical State Concern to be included in hurricane evacuation studies and subjects it to the 24-hour maximum hurricane evacuation clearance time requirement for permanent residents.

Grants the land authority power to impose perpetual deed restrictions and income compliance requirements on affordable housing homeownership units each time they are conveyed, with land authority liens allowed to be subordinated to first purchase money mortgages and state or federal funding liens.

Requires counties designated as areas of critical state concern that levy both a tourist development tax and a tourist impact tax to use accumulated surplus from those taxes (collected through September 30, 2024) to provide affordable housing for tourism-related employees, with a minimum 99-year affordability requirement on any housing financed with those funds.