As Florida’s race for governor begins to take shape, candidates across party lines are focusing on a shared concern: affordability.
From rising housing and insurance costs to everyday expenses, the issue is taking center stage on the campaign trail, reflecting what experts say is a growing strain on residents’ quality of life.
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Sam Staley, a housing policy researcher and director of the DeVoe Moore Center at Florida State University, said the concern is rooted in measurable trends.
“I think the state of affordability in Florida is actually becoming really concerning,” Staley said. “We’re talking about core parts of quality of life becoming more expensive.”
A review of campaign platforms shows affordability listed among the top issues for multiple candidates, including Democrat David Jolly and Republicans Byron Donalds, Paul Renner and Jay Collins.
Staley said the increased attention reflects deeper, long-term challenges, particularly in housing.
He helped develop the Florida Housing Data Project, a tool created in partnership with the Florida Policy Project and the Reason Foundation. The project tracks housing shortages, rental supply and whether local markets are in balance.
“The data we put together shows that this is a deep-rooted problem in housing,” Staley said.
Candidates are proposing different approaches to address the issue.
Donalds has emphasized reducing regulatory barriers to lower the cost of building new homes and has tied housing affordability to insurance reform and broader economic policy.
Renner has focused on property tax reform and has held “Affordability Now” roundtables aimed at lowering costs for residents.
Jolly, meanwhile, has criticized state lawmakers for what he describes as insufficient action on housing and insurance, while promoting proposals aimed at lowering costs for homeowners and renters.
Democratic candidate Jerry Demings has proposed incentivizing workforce housing construction and directing state housing funds toward their intended use.
Despite the range of proposals, Staley said the underlying solution is widely understood among economists, though politically challenging.
“The thing with most major affordability issues is that these are incremental, cumulative effects that grow over time,” he said. “The bottom line is the solution’s not an easy one politically.”
According to Staley, increasing the supply of housing is key to addressing affordability pressures.
“Ultimately, that’s it,” he said. “And how do you create the message that resonates well on the local level?”
As the campaign develops, affordability is expected to remain a defining issue for voters navigating rising costs across Florida.
Read more about the candidates’ proposals below:
David Jolly (D) - https://davidjolly.com/issues/
- Property Insurance: Proposes a “state catastrophic fund” to take wind/hurricane coverage off the private market, aiming to lower premiums.
- Housing & Taxes: Focuses on reducing costs for homeowners, renters, and retirees, and supports tax reforms to assist first-time homebuyers.
- Utilities: Proposes capping profits for investor-backed utilities to the national average of ~10%.
- Healthcare: Advocates for Medicaid expansion and has shifted his position to support the Affordable Care Act, citing the need for affordable coverage and rural hospital stability.
Bryron Donalds (R) - https://byrondonalds.com/issues/
- Housing Affordability: Donalds argues that reducing regulatory “red tape” and bureaucracy is crucial for lowering the cost of new homes and apartments. He recently highlighted a successful push to change a federal FHFA policy that required higher down payments for Florida condominiums, framing it as a major win for housing access.
- Insurance Costs: He believes rising insurance premiums are tied to housing costs and has suggested “modest reforms” to Florida’s catastrophe fund, alongside continuing tort reforms to reduce insurance rates.
- Economic Policy & Inflation: Donalds attributes high living costs to federal spending under the Biden administration. He advocates for pro-growth, conservative economic policies, arguing that increased energy production and reduced government spending will lower costs.
- Property Tax Relief: He supports Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s initiatives for property tax elimination for homesteaded residents and, if necessary, aims to pursue tax relief to make homeownership more affordable.
- Innovative Solutions: He has proposed using underutilized school district land for residential development to boost housing supply.
Paul Renner (R) – https://voterenner.com/issues/
- Property Tax Reform: Renner proposes an immediate rollback of property taxes to 2024 levels through legislative action. He also suggests shifting tax burdens onto out-of-state “speculators” to provide relief for permanent residents.
- Insurance Costs: His plan includes ending “nuclear verdicts” and lawsuit abuse, expanding home-hardening programs, and enforcing stricter insurer accountability.
- Utility and Energy: Renner criticizes the “social engineering” of utility companies and emphasizes affordability and domestic production in energy policy.
Jay Collins (R) - https://jayforflorida.com/issues
- Property Tax Reform: Collins has advocated for property tax relief to lower living expenses for homeowners and seniors.
- Targeting Core Expenses: He focuses on reducing costs related to property insurance, auto insurance, and housing supply.
- Job Creation & Economic Growth: He advocates for bringing in more manufacturing and high-paying jobs, emphasizing trades for younger residents rather than only traditional degree paths.
- Fiscal Accountability: Collins has mentioned reducing government waste, citing his work on the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in Florida, and has raised concerns over how tax revenue is currently utilized.
- Addressing Cost Drivers: He has linked excessive insurance costs partly to litigation and has pointed to immigration as a factor affecting housing demand and costs.
Jerry Demings (D) - https://jerrydemingsforgovernor.org/priorities/
- Incentivize Construction: He proposes encouraging developers to build more workforce and affordable housing units, leveraging his experience in directing $160 million over 10 years for this purpose in Orange County.
- Targeted Development: He supports locating affordable housing closer to jobs to reduce the transportation costs (commuting) for low-wage earners.
- Sadowski Housing Trust Fund: He vows to use the Sadowski Housing Trust Fund for its intended purpose—building affordable housing—rather than allowing the funds to be reallocated for other purposes.
- Lowering Utility Bills: Demings has stated he will take action to reduce Florida’s high utility bills by investing in renewable energy, such as solar, and enhancing energy storage systems.