Lift outdated zoning rules to expand affordable housing opportunities for Florida families

Florida is in the middle of a housing affordability crisis.

Across our state, families are feeling the squeeze of a housing market that no longer works for them. Rapid population growth, rising construction costs, and record-high taxes all contribute to the crisis. But a major part of the problem is far less visible.

Outdated zoning rules are making it harder to build the homes Floridians need.

Minimum lot-size mandates are a major issue. In many communities, local governments require new homes to be built on lots that are far larger than the market demands. This may have made sense a decade ago, but today it limits housing supply, increases costs, and pushes homeownership out of reach for the next generation.

The impact is clear. According to the American Enterprise Institute, Florida faces a housing shortage of more than 486,000 homes. Families are paying more than ever just to keep a roof overhead, and the average home price in Florida has now reached about $400,000. This is a clear sign that housing costs are continuing to rise in Florida, and we urgently need these reforms. Multigenerational households, which are increasingly common in states where families care for multiple children and aging parents under one roof, often cannot expand or add living space because zoning rules restrict growth.

The housing affordability crisis is not accidental. It’s the result of decades of policies that restricted supply, limited housing types, and made it nearly impossible for the market to keep up with demand.

Florida homeowners need common-sense solutions. Thankfully, lawmakers have filed legislation, SB 948 and HB 1143, that would modernize minimum lot size requirements and restore flexibility for both homeowners and builders. This reform would allow the market to produce the smaller, more attainable homes that do not exist today. And Florida would not be alone.

Texas recently enacted similar lot-size reforms and has shown that a conservative, pro-growth approach to zoning works. When Texas lifted unnecessary land-use barriers, communities gained more choices and families benefited from a wider range of affordable housing options.

This effort also aligns with another important housing solution moving through the Legislature. House Bill 313 and Senate Bill 48 strengthen support for accessory dwelling units (ADU), often called garage apartments, in-law suites, or granny flats. ADUs give families a practical way to create affordable rental units, support aging parents, help young adults stay close to home and make better use of underused land near jobs and schools.

Both reforms target the same issue: the lack of affordable homes in communities across Florida.

When local governments enforce large minimum lot sizes, they block the smaller, more affordable homes that many families would choose. They also make it more difficult for ADUs, modular homes, and cottage-style developments to expand.

At a time when families are being priced out of the neighborhoods they love, these restrictions no longer make sense.

By eliminating minimum lot-size mandates, lawmakers can enable new starter homes, duplexes, cottages, and family-friendly ADUs that reflect how people actually live today. A statewide approach would also bring consistency and predictability to a system that currently varies widely across localities.

Florida has always been a place of opportunity. But opportunity means little if families cannot afford to buy a home and stay there.

Americans for Prosperity-Florida supports this legislation because it puts families, homeowners and communities first. Floridians deserve the freedom to use their property in ways that meet their needs while strengthening families and communities. We appreciate Sen. Stan McClain and Rep. Danny Nix, sponsors of SB 948 and HB 1143, along with Sen. Don Gaetz, for driving these common sense solutions that will help lower housing costs and expand opportunities for Florida families.

It is time to lift outdated restrictions and help end the housing affordability crisis.

Together, we can get the government out of the way and create greater housing opportunities for Florida families.

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Skylar Zander is the State Director of Americans for Prosperity-Florida.