As housing costs continue to increase nationwide, Florida residents have become all too familiar with the growing housing shortage and affordability crisis that has been building over the past two decades in the Sunshine State.
The DeVoe L. Moore Center at Florida State University has teamed up with the Florida Policy Project and Reason Foundation to develop the Florida Housing Data Project (FHDP), a tool that allows residents and policymakers to see local-level housing trends, track shortages in single-family and rental units, and understand whether local markets have been in balance, surplus or deficit over time. The website and interactive housing map offer data-driven solutions to Florida’s severe housing shortage and affordability crisis.
The map serves two critical purposes for Florida citizens, notes Sam Staley, an economist and Director of the DeVoe L. Moore Center. “By applying rigorous analysis, we provide local officials with estimates of how deep our housing deficits are at the local level. Second, we tailor our policy recommendations to local needs.”
The FHDP reveals that Florida has a cumulative shortage of more than 120,000 housing units, an inverse of housing conditions before the 2008 housing market collapse. The deficit spans both major housing types affecting homeowners and renters, with nearly 66,000 owner-occupied units and approximately 55,000 rental units missing from the market. The inability to align housing supply with demand stems from layered and persistent causes, including restrictive zoning, permitting delays and local government hurdles.
The shortage is particularly pronounced in metropolitan areas such as Miami-Dade, Fort Lauderdale and Tampa, which rank among the least affordable housing markets in the nation. The housing affordability crisis has been exacerbated by the state’s rapid population growth, which has outpaced residential construction. As a result of supply-squeezed pricing, approximately one-third of Floridian households are burdened with housing costs exceeding 30% of their gross household income.
The report recommends several key policy shifts local governments could take to increase the supply of housing and work toward restoring balance for Florida’s housing market. Proposed steps include prioritizing housing production by identifying and addressing existing barriers, promoting accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and duplexes, encouraging upzoning and flexible land uses, and streamlining local permitting processes.
With straightforward housing supply numbers tailored for local use, citizens and policymakers alike can see how deeply the housing shortage cuts into their communities and analyze local housing data trends over time.
The website currently offers insights into 30 Florida counties and will include all 67 counties by June 2026. For more information and county-specific profiles for those already available, visit florida-housing-data-project.reason.org.
The DeVoe L. Moore Center at Florida State University is part of FSU’s College of Social Sciences and Public Policy.