Corporate investors don’t yet represent a large market share of single family homes. Experts say that could change.

The city and Duke Energy announced the Renter Utility Relief Program at a news conference Friday. This plan will help renters pay electric, sanitation and water bills that are past due.

At $7.03 billion, lawmakers fully funded a federal program that supports new mothers and babies. Policy experts had been anticipating a $1 billion funding shortfall.

The reports define the Tampa Bay region as an eight-county area: Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk and Sarasota counties.

Florida lawmakers are close to revising rules for consumer finance loans up to $25,000. The changes would allow payday lenders to charge borrowers interest rates up to 36 percent.

A pair of bills, HB 621 and SB 888, moving toward a vote by the full House and Senate would make it easier to remove squatters from residential property. Some worry that authorities could unfairly apply the rules to renters.

The latest student loan forgiveness plan, for certain borrowers enrolled in the SAVE replayment plan, will forgive $105 million of student debt for Florida borrowers.

The bill (SB 1530) would make it illegal to sleep or camp on public property without a permit. The proposal would authorize cities and counties to establish designated homeless camps where people could legally stay overnight.

Congress is considering a bill that would boost tax breaks for low-income families with children. The proposal is still awaiting action by the U.S. Senate.

Resilient SRQ is the newly created county program tasked with administering more than $200 million in Hurricane Ian recovery funds from the federal government. Its first program launched this week.

Experts are crediting cooling inflation and the anticipation of federal interest rate cuts for the boost in consumer attitudes.

Florida lawmakers resurrected the nearly 20-year-old program during a 2022 special session. Now, they are considering keeping it alive.