May 29, 2022
Earlier this month, Tampa City Council members came together in agreement: the cities of Gainesville and Miami were doing something right when it came to affordable housing. And they set out to determine what, exactly, that was.
Tampa City Council member Guido Maniscalco noticed with some disgust that his city had quickly increased its average rent by about one third over the past twelve months. "We're pricing Tampa people out of their own Tampa community," he stated.
The Tampa City Council unanimously decided to have some city lawyers take a closer look at how Gainesville and Miami handled their own housing problems. Upon beginning their research into the Gainesville market, a potential solution was discovered. Gainesville has a landlord complaint registry, where tenants and potential tenants could report abuse.
Lynn Hurtak, a Tampa City Council member, instantly identified the registry as an idea worth at least considering. The idea behind the registry was simple, she said. If you're a good landlord, you are not going to have any problems.
Miami, for its part, created a housing advocacy office. Maniscalco said that Tampa should at least consider such a measure in Tampa, in order to put a stop to the skyrocketing housing prices.
