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Rep. Eskamani says tourist development taxes could fix affordable housing crisis

Photo: Pixabay
Photo: Pixabay

Democratic leaders are calling on Orange County to use taxes it collects on rental properties to fund more affordable housing units. 

[embed]https://twitter.com/AnnaForFlorida/status/1552717683728187400?s=20&t=5MYLqCd9TK5qdSTf_lq7Nw[/embed]

Realtor.com has ranked Florida as the most unaffordable state to live in the country. 

Democratic Rep. Anna Eskamani is re-upping the call to use Orange County’s tourist development tax dollars to build more affordable housing units as a solution. 

"We use it to potentially build workforce housing in the tourism corridor which will not only help reduce traffic congestion because workers will live closer to their place of employment, but will make sure that they can be happy and healthy and we can sustain that over time."

Eskamani says these dollars collected on rental properties shouldn’t be going back into the pockets of local big businesses. 

"Right now that money billions of dollars just goes right back to the convention center or marketing and that can be a local approach to try to incentivize and build up supply."

Eskamani filed a bill in 2021 to use TDT dollars for this purpose. It died in committee.

Earlier this week, Orange County commissioners voted to require landlords give tenants a 60-day notice before a 5 percent rent hike. 

Danielle Prieur is WMFE's education reporter.