Florida lawmakers muscle up on a raft of new housing reforms

"One of the nation's most aggressive housing policy reform agendas of the post-pandemic era greets Florida lawmakers as they enter their 2026 legislative session bent on improving housing affordability. With a coordinated set of fix bills, Sunshine State lawmakers want to add more muscle to the state's workforce housing program. Proposed legislation would legalize more housing types, strengthen the fledgling Live Local Act for a fourth iteration, and recalibrate a series of funding and tax tools to speed development of affordable housing and attainable homeownership."

"Florida's strategy places the state alongside a small group of states taking holistic, multi-pronged steps to bend longterm housing supply and costs, rather than pursuing reforms that address pieces of the crisis in isolation. The state's housing market has transitioned from pandemicera residential bidding wars to a slower, more balanced but still inflated price environment overall. Apartment rents have declined modestly from recent peaks, while home prices have plateaued or decreased slightly in many regions."

Florida lawmakers entered the 2026 legislative session aiming to improve housing affordability through a coordinated package of reforms. Proposed measures would legalize additional housing types, strengthen the Live Local Act in a fourth iteration, and recalibrate funding and tax tools to accelerate affordable housing and attainable homeownership. The strategy aligns with a small group of states taking holistic, multi-pronged steps to increase long-term housing supply and lower costs. Market conditions have softened from pandemic-era bidding wars to a more balanced but still inflated environment, with modest rent declines, plateauing home prices, and regional pressure in Southeast Florida driven by population growth.

Read at www.housingwire.com