The Housing Affordability Crisis in the Treasure Coast
In a town hall hosted by WPTV 5, "Priced Out of Paradise," April Hall, a single mother of four, pleaded the case of her desperate situation with local lawmakers and officials.
"Myself and my children were unexpectedly forced to live out of my vehicle," a tearful Hall said. "What can the county – someone – do to help us in this situation?"
Up and down the Treasure Coast, working families, people of color, and older people are facing the same dire fate as April Hall. Over 300 children in the Martin County School District experienced homelessness last year. The affordable housing and insurance crisis has become severely endemic in Florida as the state has become one of the nation's least affordable places to live.
What is Affordable Housing?
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), affordable housing means “housing on which the occupant is paying no more than 30 percent of gross income for housing costs, including utilities.”
What's Fanning the Flames and Hurting Floridians? What Can Be Done?
I support House Bill 1017, which would have established a Property Insurance Commission to strengthen insurance market regulations and enforce rules that protect consumers. Floridians also deserved House Bill 41, which would have created a grant program to provide mortgage loans and insurance payments for homes and vehicles. Both pieces of legislation were sponsored by Democrats and died in committee, but they would have alleviated Floridians' struggles.
Increasing the supply of nonprofit housing (which provides affordable rental units and financial stability) would provide a path to homeownership for moderate-income families as an alternative to current workforce housing strategies. Non-profit housing further segments the rental market into different levels of rental types which both reduces overall rents by acting as a market stabilizer and improves the quality of market valued rentals. Government-issued bonds could cover the cost of non-profit housing and be paid by the revenue received from the occupants. Or the right regulatory environment could incentivize the private sector to invest in a new market for affordable housing.
Regardless of what policies we put forward at the state level not every community has the same need. The final decision on development should be left up to the local government. It is the job of a state representative to act as a steward of the local community and government and support them through legislation in any local solutions to affordable housing they may prefer. Local governments, not Tallahassee, should have the right to control their rent prices and level of development as they see fit. The state legislature should reverse this entire bill.
What I Bring to the Table
The Treasure Coast deserves a professional who is educated on these issues and has been tested in the real world. I have a Bachelor’s and Master’s both focused on economic development and a background in real estate, and I've worked with local nonprofits in tackling affordable housing.
Americans are experiencing an affordability crisis all over the country. Here, Florida continues to bear the brunt of extreme insurance costs and a housing shortage. However, the legislature continues to put this crisis on the back burner rather than confronting it head-on. The time for change is long overdue. Cities and municipalities need local power restored to deal with their residents' unique issues. We need to bring in more nonprofit housing so that working-class families can have a shot at the American dream. We need to drive down insurance costs and create more protections for consumers. We desperately need new leadership to get our hands on this issue.
If you believe this issue deserves top-of-mind attention, vote Aaron Hawkins for State Senate District 31.
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