ORLANDO, Fla. – Affordable housing is a growing issue in Central Florida. It has been a problem before the pandemic and continues to be an issue.
News 6 is addressing the multifaceted issue in the latest episode of Solutionaries.
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Host Louis Bolden joined anchors Matt Austin and Ginger Gadsden to talk more about the latest episode on the Florida’s Fourth Estate podcast.
Ginger says people view Florida as “an open state” and are moving here in droves. But if Orlando continues to be a Boomtown, the city will need a pair of Spanx to squeeze more people in.
Louis points out as more people squeeze in, housing prices go up.
Louis says, News 6 sent out surveys, got a panel of about six people and had them share their experiences on trying to find affordable housing, “and y’all we got an earful.” One man says his rent increased more than $500 in one year. Ryan Mullins says, “If you just do the 12 month (lease) that’s 33%, nobody gets a 33% raise.”
Louis points out part of the problem with affordable housing is “no one wants it in their backyard because the perception is it’s poor people, it’s Section 8 housing, it’s government subsidized, it’s housing projects and that’s the perception, but that really is not reality.” He says we are talking about “homes for people with normal jobs, we are talking about schoolteachers ... police officers ... firefighters.”
Hear more about the growing affordable housing problem, who it is impacting and what can be done to fix it on the latest episode of Florida’s Fourth Estate. You can download it from wherever you listen to podcasts.
Make sure to check out the latest episode of Solutionaries when it airs Monday as it takes a deep dive into local impact.