Former St. Petersburg Republican state Sen. Jeff Brandes, whose Florida Policy Project think tank hosted an all-day conference on Florida’s housing crisis last month, has never been a big fan of the Live Local Act. “Florida lacks a clear housing strategy built on best practices,” he said this week. “We offer a patchwork of regulations and continue to implement policies without understanding the consequences. Live Local should be retitled ‘Live in Apartments.’ Until the state finds the courage to address local zoning and lot size issues, we will never fix the housing challenges of Florida.”
