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Central Florida one of the worst in nation for affordable housing, report shows

Tampa Bay and Orlando are both on the list for the most severe shortages of affordable rental homes.

TAMPA, Fla. — While Tampa Bay has been thought of as having an affordable cost of living, Central Florida has found itself on the not-so-affordable list of housing. 

The Affordable Housing Gap Analysis gives an annual report on the availability of affordable housing to people living near or below the poverty line. 

The 2019 poverty guidelines determine the eligibility for certain federal programs. In order for a U.S. household of three people to be eligible, the household must make less than $21,330. 

The March 2019 report put Tampa Bay and Orlando on the list of metropolitan cities with the most severe shortages of affordable rental homes available for low-income households. 

Orlando has the most severe shortages of affordable housing of the 50 largest metropolitan areas. The city has 13 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 extremely low-income renters, the report shows. 

Tampa, including St. Petersburg and Clearwater, is also in the top 10 list of cities with the most severe shortages of affordable housing. The report shows there are 21 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 extremely low-income renters in Tampa Bay.

Florida's statewide average shows there are 26 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 low-income renters.

A Zillow report showed rent prices in Tampa were estimated at around $1,402 per month in November 2018, with at least a 2.9 percent increase of rent year after year. A separate report from Apartment List found a one bedroom apartment rents on average for $1,012 in Tampa and a two bedroom averages $1,259.

According to Zillow's Rent Affordability Calculator, you'd need to make $18.88 an hour to afford the average one bedroom apartment and $23.49 to afford the average two bedroom apartment. Florida's minimum wage is currently $8.46.

On average, The report finds that 37 affordable and available homes exist for every 100 low-income renters across the United States. More than 70 percent, or 7.8 million of the 11 million low-income renter households, spend more than half of their incomes on rent and utilities. 

The report states that President Trump proposed higher rents, ineffective work requirements, and other rent reforms to "encourage work among low-income recipients of housing assistance." The report also states that 39 percent of the low-income renter households are in the labor force, 26 percent are seniors, 22 percent have disabilities and five-percent are students or single-adult caregivers to young kids or a disabled family member. 

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