Florida Housing Coalition’s 2025 report highlights rising affordability challenges
Housing advocates from across the state gathered in Orlando this week for the Florida Housing Coalition’s 38th annual conference, where the organization released its latest Home Matters Report. The findings show that while housing demand continues to climb, affordability remains out of reach for many Floridians.
As of May 2025, the median rent in Florida is $1,541 — just $17 less than the previous year. Seven out of 10 elder renter households are cost-burdened, and more than 74,000 individuals and families across the state are experiencing homelessness. Nearly 95,000 students reported being homeless during the 2022–2023 school year.
Housing experts say those numbers reflect long-standing inequities in the state’s housing system.
“And unfortunately, we haven't seen much change over the past few years," said Homeownership Council of America President Gabe Ewing Del Rio. "You do have a very large gap between non-Hispanic white and African-American and Latino. That's traditional. And all around the country, it's the same. But we saw gains in some minority numbers across the country that we didn't see in Florida, unfortunately."
Del Rio added that the affordability crisis is being fueled by multiple pressures on the market.
“Florida has a cacophony of issues facing its homeowner or homebuyers, right? You've got increased insurance. You've got a climate resiliency. You've got increasing costs across the board. And all of these things make it challenging," he said.
The coalition points to recent legislative changes as a step forward. In 2023, state lawmakers passed the Live Local Act — the first major affordable housing bill in nearly three decades.
Kody Glazer, chief legal and policy officer for the Florida Housing Coalition, said the new law marked a turning point.
“So I think big picture, before 2023, the Florida legislature did very little, I would say, on housing policy statewide, especially affordable housing policy," Glazer said. "And in 2023, they passed the Live Local Act, which was basically the first time in nearly three decades they did a comprehensive bill to try to solve the issues of capacity.”
Glazer said more work lies ahead.
“And so for basically since 2023, throughout the rest of this decade, I think the states will get more involved on housing policy, which could be things like starter homes, legalizing multifamily apartments near transit (and) fully funding our Sadowski Housing Trust funds, which is really just pillar for affordable housing policy for the last 30 or 35 years in our state," he said.
The report also points to the increasing impact of hurricanes and natural disasters on housing. Glazer said rebuilding after storms is an opportunity to rethink land use and resilience.
“I think when we're rebuilding after a disaster, there's an opportunity to just be better at our housing policies and to basically just get more homes built that aren't in harm's way. So looking at things like lots plates, allowing duplexes and triplexes in more places so we can remove people from more vulnerable places and build more housing where it makes sense to where areas that are not as prone to flooding, prone to, you know, just the biggest impacts of hurricanes. I think it's our ability to reflect on our land use policies, really guiding growth to the right places in our community," said Glazer.
The Coalition says its Home Matters Report is designed to guide policymakers and advocates with data-driven strategies. Its recommendations include expanding housing supply, preserving affordability, and making communities more resilient to future disasters.