The following article appreared in The Daily Sun on Dec 16, 2023. By the ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON — The United States experienced a dramatic 12% increase in homelessness to its highest reported level as soaring rents and a decline in coronavirus pandemic assistance combined to put housing out of reach for more Americans, federal officials said
The following editorial was published in The Daily Sun on Dec 8, 2023. OUR POSITION: Local governments are doing what they can to boost the number of much-needed affordable housing units, but the challenge is immense. During a not-so-long-ago Sarasota County Commission gathering, commissioners went over the key pieces of action needed to fire up the
The following editorial was published in The Daily Sun on Dec 7, 2023. OUR POSITION: Inflation has pushed consumers’ credit to all-time highs and that budget crunch just makes affordable housing that much more urgent. Total household debt for Americans increased by $228 billion in the third quarter and totals $17.29 trillion, according to a report
The following editorial was published in The Daily Sun on Oct 17, 2023. OUR POSITION: Trying to cull customers from Citizens Insurance is needed, but not at the expense of homeowners still struggling to recover from hurricanes. It’s well documented and certainly no secret that Citizens Property Insurance Corp., Florida’s state-backed insurer of last resort, has
The following editorial was published in The Daily Sun on Sept 18, 2023. OUR POSITION: Retirees who aren’t fortunate to have comfortable retirement income and who live on fixed incomes are as much in need of affordable housing as those in our state’s workforce. Florida is a top landing spot for retirees. More than one out
The following editorial was published in The Daily Sun on May 18, 2023. OUR POSITION: Despite a bill passed by the Legislature to boost affordable housing, the challenges to do so remain. There is ample talk when it comes to the housing crunch here in Florida and nationally. However, we worry about whether all that talk about
By Mike Sunnucks, APG National Enterprise Editor, Apr 24, 2023. Part I of II Charlotte County Commissioners and North Port city leaders each held workshop discussions in February 2020 about affordable housing. It’s a problem human services advocates and business owners all say is a top concern. Lack of affordable and workforce housing has been
By Carrie Seidman, Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Apr 23, 2023. Last fall, I came to the difficult decision to sell my beloved house on Lido Key. Several factors convinced me the time was right: The encroachment of vacation rental “hotel houses” on all sides; the annihilation of landscaping I’d worked years to establish by Hurricane Ian; and the fact
By JIM TURNER, NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA, March 25, 2023. TALLAHASSEE — With approval Friday from the Florida House, Senate President Kathleen Passidomo’s $711 million effort to make housing more affordable for working Floridians is headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis. The House voted 103-6 to pass a bill (SB 102) dubbed the “Live Local Act.”
The following Letter to the Editor was published in The Daily Sun on March 23, 2023. My neighbors recently defeated a proposal to increase the number of residents in a house that functions as an assisted living facility. They cited changes in density and property values. In a county where workers and families and the
By CARRIE WALSH, Charlotte County Human Services Director, The Daily Sun, March 11, 2023. The Department of Housing and Urban Development defines affordable housing as a dwelling a family or household can obtain-whether through rent, purchase or other means-that costs 30% or less of the household’s income. Since household incomes vary widely, what is affordable
The following editorial was published in The Daily Sun on Jan 2, 2023. OUR POSITION: Florida needs to take a hard look at what can be done to minimize destruction from the next Hurricane Ian. Floridians have much to consider after witnessing the destruction wrought by Hurricane Ian. There will be debate about climate change, building
By ELAINE ALLEN-EMRICH, The Daily Sun, Dec 18, 2022. MURDOCK — Homeowners denied federal assistance should reapply or appeal, Charlotte County Emergency Manager Patrick Fuller said. This week, Fuller told Charlotte County commissioners 54,559 residents have requested assistance so far through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Residents are still encouraged to apply. He said the
By NANCY J. SEMON, STAFF WRITER, The Daily Sun, Dec 11, 2022. PORT CHARLOTTE — Hurricane Ian made the lack of affordable and subsidized housing worse, members of the Charlotte County Affordable Housing Advisory Committee (AHAC) believe. The good news is Charlotte County’s strategic plan for 2021-22 is to add 200 new affordable housing units
The following editorial was published in The Daily Sun on November 12, 2022. OUR POSITION: We’re yet to get a grip on how bad our homeless situation is now that Hurricane Ian has made a bad situation worse. Even before Hurricane Ian, we had a homeless problem. No one would deny that. And, even before Hurricane Ian,
Editor: The FEDERAL government, led by Democrats, continues to aid FL recovery. Democrats help ALL struggling Floridians, regardless of party affiliation! Staff Report, The Daily Sun, Oct 26, 2022. (Updated Oct 29th) TALLAHASSEE – The Federal Emergency Management Agency is bringing more housing options to area counties devastated by Hurricane Ian. In response, FEMA is
The following editorial was published in The Daily Sun on Oct 23, 2022. OUR POSITION: It’s going to be a struggle to replace the housing lost to Hurricane Ian and keep it anywhere near affordable for those displaced by the storm and others wanting to move to Florida. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has allocated
By MICHAEL MOLINE, Florida Phoenix, Oct 20, 2022. Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday that he is extending deadlines for paying property taxes on residential and commercial buildings “that were destroyed or otherwise rendered uninhabitable” by Hurricane Ian. The idea is to pause tax payments in 26 counties until the Legislature can convene before the end of
Losses from the storm are just coming into focus. But what is clear is that recovery will be hardest on people already struggling to make ends meet. By Frances Robles, Audra D. S. Burch, Richard Fausset and Michael Majchrowicz, The New York Times, Oct. 4, 2022 FORT MYERS, Fla. — Days after Hurricane Ian buffeted the state with a trifecta of wind,
DeSantis has failed repeatedly to take action to protect homeowners, instead prioritizing divisive culture wars over taking real steps to lower costs for consumers. Elect Charlie Crist to address the REAL issues. As they continue to survey the damage left by Hurricane Ian, Floridians are coming to terms with the fact that the state’s broken
By A.G. Gancarski, Florida Politics, September 5, 2022. “Before Floridians start losing their homes.” The increasingly fraught issue of homeowners insurance is a hot topic in the Governor’s race. Democratic gubernatorial nominee Charlie Crist contends Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as “unfit to lead” the state’s increasingly wobbly property insurance market, challenging the Governor to reverse price hikes rolled out