Prior to the 1990 U.S. Census, the number of unhoused people and rates of homelessness were tracked mainly by nonprofits. Many of these nonprofit surveys began in the 1980s; at this time, there was a large uptick in homelessness due to the deinstitutionalization of people with mental illnesses, the HIV/AIDS epidemic, high unemployment, and a low supply of affordable housing options. While the total number of homeless Floridians in 1992 is unclear, it was estimated to be around 40,000 people, with families accounting for around 40 percent of the total number of households experiencing homelessness in the state.
During the rise and recognition of homelessness, and several months prior to the devastating loss of life and housing caused by Hurricane Andrew in 1992, the Sadowski Housing Act was passed to fund affordable housing efforts in the state. Florida was one of the first statewide Housing Trust Funds to be guaranteed an annual revenue.
Through a portion of the documentary stamp tax, funds are collected and then split between a private loan program (State Apartment Incentive Loan [SAIL]) and a public loan program (the State Housing Initiatives Partnership [SHIP]). These loans are used to construct and rehabilitate housing, affordable to many Floridians who are only one missed paycheck away from homelessness.