With over 800 people migrating to Florida every day, coupled with the Tampa Bay area’s rising notoriety among the best places to work and live, local leaders are grasping at straws trying to accommodate the new residents bolstering the region’s economy.
“These challenges are a result of our success, not our failures. It doesn’t mean we don’t have to deal with them,” former Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn said. Buckhorn was one of several panelists speaking at the Tampa Bay Times‘ Spotlight Tampa Bay event Wednesday evening at the Palladium Theater in St. Petersburg.
Times real estate reporter Rebecca Liebson said that regardless of the type of residential project – high-end, market-rate, or affordable housing – it all helps offset the dire need for more homes and limited inventory, which correlates to higher housing prices.
Former Sen. Jeff Brandes explained how Tallahassee legislators have failed to implement a unified strategy to address the housing crisis. There isn’t a silver bullet that could solve the ever-growing issue, but Brandes said there are resources in the toolbox that could somewhat help mitigate it, such as expanding accessory dwelling units, also known as mother-in-law suites, and transforming certain clusters of residential areas into more walkable and approachable neighborhoods.