Every Floridian, no matter our background. Where we come from or who we love deserves the freedom to know that with hard work, we can provide a good life for our family. But this session, Gov. Ron DeSantis and his Republican allies in the legislature tried to divide us by putting their own political ambitions and corporate donors ahead of what’s best for the people they were elected to serve.
At a time when Floridians are facing a historic housing crisis, the final $112.1 billion budget included only $318.7 million for affordable housing programs. This amounts to only .3% of the total spending plan and represents a massive missed opportunity in a year where $9 billion is going unspent.
Rents and home prices in Florida are out of control. Leaders in our state refuse to address this because wealthy developers and greedy corporations donate millions of dollars to Florida politicians so they will keep turning a blind eye to skyrocketing housing prices. It’s time for our elected official to start putting hard-working Floridians first and stop allowing corporate developers to get rich at our expense.
All Floridians deserve the freedom to know that if they work hard, they’ll be able to afford a home for their families. We need leaders in our state that care about keeping housing affordable. We deserve better than this kind of rent gouging, and need to come together and demand it.
While you work hard every single day to provide for your family, Republican legislators are fighting to let landlords and developers price gouge you out of your home. It is time that we all come together to demand the freedom we have earned for an affordable place to live and tell the politicians who have put their corporate donors ahead of the people of Florida that they were elected to serve and that we deserve better.
Betty Honkonen
President
Democratic Women’s Club of Citrus County
