Jesse Scheckner
Skyrocketing housing prices in Florida have made it one of the least affordable states for renters and homebuyers in America. Now, a group of Ron DeSantis’ fiercest critics is airing a new ad blaming the Governor for not acting to address the issue.
DeSantis Watch, a partnership between Florida Watch and Progress Florida, has been bashing DeSantis for months on issues like education and campaign finance. In its latest video, the group targets Florida’s housing unaffordability, which prompted local and state leaders to declare states of emergency and urge the Governor to do the same and take steps to slow the trend.
“While Ron DeSantis engages in cruel political stunts, it is everyday Floridians who continue to suffer while he ignores the housing affordability crisis in our state,” DeSantis Watch Constituencies Director Natasha Sutherland said in a statement.
“This is a state of emergency for the single mom choosing between rent and school supplies for her child, for the seniors deciding between a roof over their head or the life-saving medication they need, and for the thousands of families and young people being crushed by unreasonable rent gouging throughout Florida.
“It is time for real action to protect the hardworking people of our state, but all Ron DeSantis cares about are the fat cat developers and billionaires who fund his political ambitions while Floridians struggle to stay in their homes.”
The 49-second video, released Monday, is mostly a collection of clips from TV reports on Florida’s disproportionately high housing prices. It features just two sentences at the end from DeSantis Watch: “This is a state of emergency. Vote Ron out.”
While rents have climbed statewide and Florida’s property insurance market collapses, leading to rate hikes for thousands of homeowners, the Governor has sat idly by, according to DeSantis Watch. By declaring a state of emergency, the Governor could have, but has not, empowered Attorney General Ashley Moody to cap rent hikes through Florida’s anti-price-gouging statute.
Worse yet, the group said, is that DeSantis benefited from his constituents’ hardships.
“Since 2019, when Ron DeSantis took office, rents in the state have increased by 41%, property insurance premiums have more than doubled from $1,988 to $4,231 a year, which is more than three times the national average, and the average sale price of a home has shot up 65%,” the group said last month. “Why is Ron DeSantis ignoring this ongoing crisis? One answer may lie in who is funding his political career.”
A DeSantis Watch analysis of campaign finance reports from the Governor’s campaign and political committee, Friends of Ron DeSantis, found that more than $57 million — more than 25% of his total gains — came from the real estate and finance industries.
“Clearly, the word is out that if you’re among the wealthy elite, Florida is the place to be,” the group said. “For the workers, students, seniors, and other families who power our state’s economy looking for shelter? They’ll continue to struggle as those with the means to bankroll his political ambitions continue to have the Governor’s attention.”
5 comments
PeterH
September 19, 2022 at 12:45 pm
DeSantis is too busy running for President!
Impeach Biden
September 19, 2022 at 12:51 pm
Um, rents and housing costs are up nationwide. Florida and Texas had an enormous amount of people fleeing lockdown States during Covid. Homeowner’s in Florida and Texas are probably very happy with their asset appreciation. With inflation up to historic forty year highs and mortgage rates at six percent and climbing, you can bet this will stagnate the housing market and prices will start coming down.
Joe Corsin
September 19, 2022 at 3:48 pm
He could do something about the rents…and that “fleeing lockdown states” stuff is nonsense. You don’t know why people move here and you don’t know why they leave. Just stupid stuff you’ve heard in some right wing circle somewhere.
Impeach Biden
September 19, 2022 at 4:34 pm
What rent controls Joey Corsin or whoever personality you are on? Isn’t that what the people of Venezuela are fleeing? Isn’t this a free market economy? I know you and your socialist wackos would like to impose the government on everything. Move to California, or Venezuela if its socialism you want.
Tami
September 22, 2022 at 10:34 am
Because of Governor DeSantis policies, we have a large population surge in the state. Of course many homes are being built and more infrastructure including businesses are going to be built along with the housing, and that will affect taxes. Prices have increased everywhere in the nation, but that falls on someone else. Clearly you can get facts by going to the governors page and see what he has done for affordable homeowners insurance, because people were being denied insurance for their homes completely, and what is also done for affordable housing. He has set aside large amounts of money in the budget for programs and has had legislation about the subjects, and Ashley Moody while vying for the governor seat suggested nothing about caps. The lower the class the bigger hit you’re going to take in this economy right now. DeSantis has done Floridians well, because when it came to the lockdowns, schools being shut, protecting the most vulnerable and senior populations, he was right about it all. So I say this story is an opinion of a liberal that just wants to complain, or some pop up activist organization that gives to the Democrat party and not fact it all. Simply going to Florida’s government website and searching what DeSantis has done regarding these problems, with bipartisan support on most, one will see that this is news piece is propaganda and not based upon fact. Yes, prices have gone up on affordable housing and insurance nationwide, but this should not be a smear against DeSantis. Start at the top with the commander-in-chief all the way down to the governors who had large populations moving into the state of Florida because of the freedom for youth and schools, the population in general, and allowed businesses to thrive creating the economy we have now and no state tax.
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