House Republicans Reject Every Single Pro-Renter Amendments
TALLAHASSEE, FL – Today the Florida House State Affairs committee heard HB 627 related to Housing. The bill has many provisions, including a state mandate prohibiting local caps on rent hikes and various developer tax breaks and incentive programs without a clear return on investment or targeted long-term relief for working class Floridians. A recent statewide poll indicated that eight in 10 Florida voters agree the state should limit rent increases. A report titled “Price Out of Paradise,” released last summer, describes the unchecked corporate greed driving Florida’s affordable housing crisis.
Democrats introduced 9 amendments to improve the bill. House Republicans rejected every single pro-renter amendment. Many of these amendments were adopted from Rep. Eskamani’s comprehensive Keeping Floridians Housed Act. Amendments included protections for victims of domestic violence, the creation of a new state agency called the Department of Housing and Tenant Rights, basic consumer protections regarding security deposits, eviction notice, and application fees, and corporate accountability targeting private equity firms and monopolies buying out supply and price gouging Floridians.
Representative Gantt stated, “We have the opportunity and the ability to truly address the affordability crisis and we offered amendments that would address real life issues for Floridians. They were all rejected. This is the time to pass laws that provide articulable and real solutions for Floridians. This bill strips away the ability for local governments to serve their communities based on their unique challenges and it silences the voice of the people to have input in the development of their communities. While it has good solutions, there should not have to be a trade off in the form of stripping local governments from serving their communities and silencing Floridians. Proponents say that it does “something” but I push back and say why are we just settling for something when we have the power to do more? People are struggling and need help. We are ready and willing to work across the aisle to ensure that we provide that help.”
Representative Rayner-Goolsby stated, “As the Ranking Member of the State Affairs Committee I was incredibly disappointed to see a housing bill come before us that did not include immediate relief or protections for Florida’s renters. We have the solutions to solve the housing affordability crisis and it can’t just be one-sided to solely focus on developers. We need to ensure a community driven approach that evens the playing field and doesn’t leave anyone behind.”
Representative Eskamani stated, “HB627 has good provisions, but it misses the mark when it comes to delivering immediate relief to Florida families. It’s also a slap in the face to Orange County voters since it preempts even emergency rental stabilization ordinances like the one 59% of my voters approved in 2022. We should be responding to the affordable housing crisis not just with developer incentives but with rental protections too. We will keep fighting for a grass-tops and grassroots approach.”
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