Weeks after Hurricane Ian made landfall in southwest Florida, communities continue to grapple with the heartbreaking and widespread damage it caused. The Category 4 hurricane not only led to devastating loss of life, but it also exacerbated a long-standing affordable housing crisis, particularly with many Floridians now facing housing insecurity.
As state leaders shift into “rebuild and recover mode,” as Gov. Ron DeSantis recently stated, it’s crucial that policymakers at all levels of government across Florida finally acknowledge that simply returning to the status quo of housing affordability, particularly for renters, is not good enough.
The above excerpt was originally published in Tampa Bay Times.
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