Florida is currently facing severe crises in both the housing and homelessness spheres. Focusing on policy that increases the housing stock is of paramount importance, especially for Floridians with low income.
It is also imperative to consider the highly discriminatory history of housing law when determining solutions that are effective, yet equitable. Solutions must not only account for displacement of vulnerable populations, but they should also be structured in a way that introduces prosperity to Floridians and reparations to those who have been continuously swindled for the last 150 years and counting. As climate change continues to cause rising sea levels, generations of families and legacy residents are forced even further inland; people in redlined areas now have to face yet another displacement crisis, compelled by predatory developers who are interested in building atop land standing at a higher elevation. Instead of receiving the care that they need, Floridians experiencing homelessness are now being overtly criminalized, due to the multiple raids that swept the state of its affordable housing trust and a lack of affordable housing development.
All Floridians are entitled to living a life defined by dignity, stability, and safety — regardless of what their circumstances may be. The state and country are at a crossroad: given the considerable gap in income equality and the urgent need for affordable housing, policymakers should commit to preserving the well-being of legacy residents and fully funding affordable housing to allow longstanding communities to remain intact.