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More and more people are finding themselves living paycheck to paycheck in the greater Tampa Bay region. In some places, rent has doubled. The cost of everyday goods — like gas and groceries — keeps creeping up. All the while, wages lag behind and the affordable housing crisis looms. Amid cost-of-living increases, WUSF is focused on documenting how people are making ends meet.

Can 'granny flats' fix Florida's affordable housing crisis? Local experts weigh in

Four panelists sit in an auditorium in front of a backdrop that reads "University of South Florida Institute for Public Policy and Leadership" during a speaker series event on Sept. 30, 2025
Gabriella Paul
/
WUSF
Panelists discuss the affordable housing crisis and policy recommendations at the Patel Center for Global Solutions as part of the Debate-A-Bull speaker series hosted by the University of South Florida's Institute for Public Policy & Leadership. (Left to right: moderator and executive director of USF IPPL, Casey Welch; co-director of AEI Housing Center Ed Pinto; Manatee County Commissioner George Kruse; author and lecturer Jason Vuic; and managing partner at Barbas Cremer, PLLC, Jacob Cremer.

It was one of several policy recommendations discussed by housing experts at a recent Debate-A-Bull speaker event at the University of South Florida.

Encouraging homeowners to build "granny flats" in their backyards could be a key to boosting affordable housing supply in Florida.

Also known as accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, the state defines them as additional living quarters on single-family lots that are separate from the primary residence and have a standalone kitchen, bathroom and sleeping area.

Building more of them was one of several policy recommendations made by housing experts during a panel hosted by the University of Florida last week as part of its Debate-A-Bull Speaker Series.

"The three most important things in real estate are: location, location, location. The three most important things in housing affordability are: smaller lot, smaller lot, smaller lot,” co-director of right-leaning think tank AEI Housing Center Ed Pinto said.

According to a September housing market analysis by the institute, Florida is short 486,000 homes, or 4.7% of its overall housing stock, “squeezing families out of home ownership, pushing rents higher, and forcing workers to commute farther from jobs and schools.”

Incentivizing the construction of these extra units, along with other dwelling types, like duplexes, triplexes and townhomes, on existing lots could add up to 42,500 homes annually in Florida, according to the policy report.

But first, they must be allowed.

Zoning hurdles

Pinto said local zoning dictates development — and right now, across the greater Tampa Bay region, it’s dictating large homes on larger lots.

“If it's legal to build single-family detached only, you will get a McMansion,” he said. “If it's legal to build three or four townhomes on a lot of 3,000 square feet and subdivide the lot, you will get townhomes.”

ALSO READ: Hillsborough County votes to eliminate HOPE affordable housing fund

The City of Tampa recently reformed its zoning policy to allow granny flats in specific areas. City code now allows their construction in Seminole Heights, around Lowry Park, the East Tampa Overlay and the Tampa Heights Overlay.

Regulations around ADUs are set at the local level, but that could change.

Earlier this year, state lawmakers considered a bill to require local governments to adopt ordinances allowing ADUs in certain areas. The House and Senate each passed versions of the proposal, but did not reach an agreement on a final version. Bill sponsor Sen. Don Gaetz has already filed a similar version of the proposal, SB 48, for the 2026 legislative session.

NIMBYism

Panelist Jacob Cremer is an attorney and managing partner at Barbas Cremer, PLLC, who specializes in land development issues with local governments.

During the Sept. 20 panel, he said “NIMBYism,” or the “not in my backyard” attitude held by some property owners, also hurts pro-housing developments.

“The hardest projects, by far, that I work on are in Tampa. They're in South Tampa. They're in places in cities where rich people live,” Cremer said. “You know why? They show up and they oppose every single project. They oppose duplexes, they oppose high rises, they oppose … ADUs. They oppose everything.”

In a policy brief published by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, Cremer recommends local governments streamline land development codes to encourage housing production, like permitting ADUs.

“We've created a system that encourages neighbors to show up and have a war with each other over whether the grandma can build an ADU,” Cremer said.

In the co-authored report, he also recommends that Florida tie state funding to whether local governments are growing aggressively enough.

Manatee County Commissioner George Kruse agreed with panelists about the dire need for affordable housing but pushed back on proposals to do away with Florida’s growth management system, which requires cities and counties to develop comprehensive plans to guide development.

“It basically ties our hands. It ties cities’, counties’ hands. [It] makes us incapable of thinking for ourselves, making sure we’re managing [growth],” he said.

Author and lecturer Jason Vuic brought a historical perspective to the panel about Florida’s growth.

Quoting USF historian Gary Mormino, Vuic said, “What does Florida do for a living? Florida grows.”

Gabriella Paul covers the stories of people living paycheck to paycheck in the greater Tampa Bay region for WUSF. Here’s how you can share your story with her.

I tell stories about living paycheck to paycheck for public radio at WUSF News. I’m also a corps member of Report For America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms.
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