TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida State Rep. Berny Jacques is elevating alarm over the growing variety of company entities shopping for up properties throughout the state, warning that the development is making homeownership more and more unattainable for working Floridians.
“It’s actual, to the tune of just about 120,000 properties statewide, and nearly 30,000 properties within the Tampa Bay space, the place I characterize the good individuals of Home District 59,” Jacques mentioned throughout an interview on Florida’s Voice Radio with Drew Steele. “If we don’t get a deal with on this, it’s going to blow out of proportion to the purpose the place an odd, hard-working Floridian who’s doing all the correct issues isn’t going to have a practical shot at homeownership.”
WATCH: Rep. @BernyJacques warns of company buy-up capturing over 100,000 properties statewide, and making it tougher for Floridians to attain homeownership pic.twitter.com/9tD2DGa8IV
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) February 6, 2025
Jacques emphasised that homeownership is a crucial pathway to the American dream and constructing generational wealth.
He’s now advocating for the Strengthening Residence Possession in Florida Act—HB 401—laws that will create a brand new zoning class distinguishing corporate-owned rental properties from owner-occupied properties.
“If handed into regulation, this invoice will deal with this for what it’s—it’s not owner-occupied, it’s a company buy-up used for hire perpetually, by no means put again available on the market for buy,” Jacques defined. “That limits provide and drives up housing prices.”
The lawmaker highlighted that the problem notably impacts younger professionals and households attempting to determine roots in Florida communities.
“A number of components of the state have gotten much less attainable, and we now have to reverse that development,” he mentioned.
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