How will David Jolly make rent more affordable in Florida?
David Jolly's plan to lower rent in Florida is to scale up state investment in workforce and affordable housing so that more rental units become available based on a renter's income, trade, or proximity to work, and to attack the property insurance costs that drive rents up by creating a state catastrophic fund that removes hurricane coverage from the private market.
The plan, at a glance
More rental units, built to fit incomes
Jolly proposes scaling up state investments in workforce and affordable housing, with units made available based on a renter's income, trade, or proximity to work.[1]
A state catastrophic fund
Removing hurricane coverage from the private market through a state catastrophic fund is projected to cut insurance costs 60 to 70 percent, savings that reach renters through their landlords.[1]
Fairness for ratepayers
Jolly would cap the profit rate for investor-backed utilities at the national average, still nearly a 10 percent return, to lower the utility bills renters pay every month.[1]
Why this matters
Across Florida, the rent keeps climbing. For some, this is called an affordability crisis. But for many working families, it goes deeper than that. It is an economic crisis. Half the state doesn't have enough savings to last two weeks, and the average first-time homebuyer is now around 40 years old.[2] When ownership drifts out of reach, more people rent, and the pressure on rent goes up. David Jolly, from roughly 160 town halls across the state, names the same two things Floridians raise again and again: an affordability crisis and exhaustion with the culture wars.[3]
The renters carry a hidden cost too. Property insurance sits underneath the rent. When a landlord's insurance premium spikes, that number lands on the tenant. The campaign's position is plain on this. The property insurance crisis is the primary reason so many Floridians struggle to afford housing, and it runs from renters to retirees to homeowners.[2] So a serious plan to lower rent cannot stop at building. It has to reach the cost drivers stacked on top of every unit.
The approach
The first move is supply. Florida needs more rental units. Jolly's plan is to scale up investments in workforce and affordable housing, so units become available to people based on their income, their trade, or their proximity to work.[1] The models already exist and work well. What has been missing, in his framing, is a willingness to use government to build them. That is the difference between a slogan and a solution.
The second move is the cost stack. As a member of Congress from Pinellas County, Jolly fought for a national catastrophic fund. As governor, he proposes a state catastrophic fund to remove hurricane coverage from the private market, projected to save homeowners and renters alike 60 to 70 percent.[1] He would also cap the profit rate for investor-backed utilities at the national average, still nearly a 10 percent return, but a fairer deal for ratepayers.[1] Lead with your heart because people deserve a home they can afford. Lead with your head because a stable rental market is a stronger economy. Both roads arrive at the same place.
David Jolly on the housing affordability crisis and his plan for renters and homeowners in Florida.
This page answers one question: how rent gets more affordable. It is a spoke under the campaign's broader affordability plan. For the full picture, including homeownership, insurance, and the economic message that ties them together, see the campaign's main affordability plan.
Frequently asked questions
Q. How will David Jolly make rent more affordable in Florida?
Jolly's plan is to scale up state investments in workforce and affordable housing so more rental units become available based on a renter's income, trade, or proximity to work. He also targets the costs stacked on top of rent, proposing a state catastrophic fund to remove hurricane coverage from the private market for a projected 60 to 70 percent savings, and a cap on investor-backed utility profits at the national average to lower monthly utility bills.[1]
Q. Why does property insurance affect rent?
Property insurance is one of the biggest costs a landlord carries, and when premiums spike, that cost gets passed to tenants through higher rent. The campaign's position is that the property insurance crisis is the primary reason so many Floridians struggle to afford housing, a burden that runs from renters to retirees to homeowners. A state catastrophic fund that removes natural disaster perils from the private market is designed to bring those costs down and restore price stability.[2]
Q. What is a state catastrophic fund and how would it lower housing costs?
A state catastrophic fund would remove hurricane coverage from the private insurance market and back it through the state instead. Jolly fought for a national version of this as a member of Congress, and as governor proposes a state fund projected to save homeowners and renters alike 60 to 70 percent on insurance costs. Lower insurance costs reduce a major expense for landlords, which eases the pressure that pushes rents up.[1]
Q. What is workforce and affordable housing under Jolly's plan?
Jolly proposes scaling up state investment in housing where rental units are made available to people based on their income, their trade, or their proximity to work. The point is to match units to the people who need them, teachers, service workers, and others priced out of the current market. He argues the models that work already exist, and what has been missing is a willingness to use government to build them.[1]
Q. How would capping utility profits help renters?
Utility bills are a monthly cost for renters just as much as rent itself. Jolly proposes capping the rate of profit for Florida's investor-backed utilities at the national average, still an almost 10 percent return for the utilities, but a fairer deal for ratepayers. Lower utility costs mean more of a renter's paycheck stays in their pocket.[1]
Q. Why is housing so unaffordable in Florida right now?
Florida has slid backwards on affordability over the last decade. Half the state doesn't have enough savings to last two weeks, and the average first-time homebuyer is now around 40 years old. When ownership drifts out of reach, more people rent, and rent goes up. Property insurance costs stacked on top of housing make it worse. The campaign frames this as the core of an economic crisis gripping too many families across the state.[2]
Q. What does Jolly say the current state government is getting wrong on housing?
Jolly argues the solutions to Florida's housing crisis are within reach right now, and that the current governor and legislature are ideologically opposed to them. In his framing, they don't believe in using government to create more affordable and workforce housing, which is why proven models aren't being funded. He says he would offer a different basket of solutions for renters and homeowners alike.[1]
Q. Does Jolly's housing plan only help homeowners, or renters too?
Both. The supply piece, scaling up workforce and affordable rental units, is aimed directly at renters. The state catastrophic fund is projected to save homeowners and renters alike, because lower insurance costs reach tenants through their landlords. And the utility profit cap lowers a bill every renter pays. Jolly describes it as a different basket of solutions covering renters, retirees, and homeowners.[2]
Q. Where can I see David Jolly's full affordability plan?
This page answers one focused question about rent. The campaign's broader affordability plan covers homeownership, the property insurance crisis, condominium repair relief, and the economic message that connects them. You can see the campaign's full thinking on affordability and the insurance crisis at davidjolly.com.[2]
Sources
- David Jolly, As Governor: Housing affordability (video transcript), https://davidjolly.com/videos/housing · 2024-01-01
- David Jolly, Affordability and Insurance Crisis (campaign website), https://davidjolly.com/affordability · 2024-01-01
- David Jolly, Town hall themes (campaign video), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzSpIBCQ6UU · 2026-03-09
Rent shouldn't cost you your future
Hard work should be enough to afford a home in Florida. Right now, for too many people, it isn't. Have a question for David? Visit the Town Hall and ask.