Advocate urges Leon County to use $500,000 to wipe out $50 million in medical debt; pushes charter protections for housing trust fund

Melanie Andar, policy director at the Florida Health Justice Project, told the Leon County Charter Review Committee that a small, one-time public investment could produce outsized relief for residents. "Initial estimates show that with a small 1 time investment of $500,000, we can pay off $50,000,000 in medical debt for county residents," she said during public comment, pointing to a recent Orange County program funded with American Rescue Plan Act dollars as a model.

Andar framed medical debt relief as both an economic and equity measure, arguing it stabilizes household finances, improves workforce participation and disproportionately benefits Black households. She said medical debt often stems from insurance denials, billing errors or third-party disputes and is "one of the most common forms of consumer debt." She urged the committee to move a motion asking staff to present possible funding sources to the Board of County Commissioners.

The committee did not immediately adopt a specific funding motion during Andar's comment period, but members discussed the idea later in the meeting while considering broader affordable-housing and funding items. Staff noted Leon County already operates an affordable housing trust fund established by ordinance for nearly 30 years and presented existing funding tools the county uses, including SHIP, bond financing, federal grants, sales tax allocations and general revenue.

Andar also recommended that the charter protect the continued existence of an affordable housing trust fund, saying a charter provision would provide lasting structural support for preserving rental housing and make funding more transparent to the public. The committee agreed to request further staff analysis on a range of proposals for affordable-housing funding and potential charter language to consider at a later meeting.

The meeting provided no commitment from the committee to allocate county dollars for medical debt purchase or forgiveness; staff and committee members asked for analysis and options to be returned for further discussion. The committee's next review of housing and charter-language options is expected in subsequent meetings.