{"id":125074,"date":"2026-01-20T16:52:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T16:52:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/125074\/"},"modified":"2026-01-20T16:52:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T16:52:08","slug":"northeast-florida-media-outlets-launch-collaborative-project-to-examine-soaring-housing-costs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/125074\/","title":{"rendered":"Northeast Florida media outlets launch collaborative project to examine soaring housing costs"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nTo read all the stories that are part of the Northeast Florida News Collaborative, visit neflnews.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Not so long ago, Northeast Florida was the state\u2019s best-kept housing secret: It was a younger, working-class alternative to the gilded retirement getaways in the state\u2019s other large metros. Land was plentiful. Rents were lower. Houses were a bargain, even at the Beaches.<\/p>\n

That has changed dramatically.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Voters here told the University of North Florida Public Opinion Research Lab in 2025 that housing costs topped their list of concerns, displacing crime for the first time in the survey\u2019s history. Just five years ago, only 3% of voters said the same. In 2019, housing didn\u2019t even make the list.<\/p>\n

At the center of Northeast Florida\u2019s housing affordability issues is excessive housing costs, defined as paying more than 30 percent of household income for housing, according to the UF Shimberg Center for Housing Studies. More than half of renting households in Northeast Florida are suffering from excessive housing costs, along with nearly a quarter of homeowners, according to 2023 data from the U.S. Census. Meanwhile, Jacksonville is Florida\u2019s eviction capital<\/a>; residents here are kicked out of homes at twice the rate as Miami-Dade, and well above Orlando and Tampa.<\/p>\n

A coalition of Northeast Florida news organizations \u2013 including digital, broadcast, and print media \u2013 plan to tackle the issue of housing costs as a shared editorial project in 2026. Working together, these organizations will examine the complex causes of and solutions to this crisis so that bad actors are held accountable, citizens and nonprofits can make informed decisions, and public pressure builds on policymakers so that housing is within reach for all residents of Northeast Florida.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI can think of no better topic for our region\u2019s first news collaborative than the cost of housing \u2014 one of the biggest, toughest issues facing our community,\u201d said Deirdre Conner, Publisher & CEO of The Tributary. \u201cThe Tributary was excited to convene partners who we previously worked with one-on-0ne because we know we can have so much more impact working together than going it alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAffordable housing is not a niche issue. It\u2019s an economic issue, a workforce issue and a quality-of-life issue for the entire First Coast,\u201d Jacksonville Business Journal<\/a> Editor in Chief James Cannon said. \u201cIf we want to keep growing as a community, this is a challenge we have to confront together.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAffordable housing has been a focus for the Jacksonville Today news team since our inception,\u201d said Jacksonville Today<\/a> Editor Jessica Palombo. \u201cBy joining together with other local news outlets in the Northeast Florida News Collaborative, we are able to shine a brighter spotlight on causes and solutions that affect housing affordability in our communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis partnership represents a necessary step forward in our mission of serving Northeast Florida through independent fact-based journalism,\u201d News4JAX<\/a> News Director Robert Brown said. \u201cWe know that many Americans are struggling to afford necessities like housing and our hope is that we can provide information and resources to help them live better lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

This story is part of the Northeast Florida News Collaborative, a coalition of news organizations dedicated to providing news and information in the public interest for a more informed and engaged Northeast Florida. More information is available at neflnews.org.<\/a><\/p>\n

Liz Flaisig is The Tributary\u2019s partnerships manager and coordinator of the Northeast Florida News Collaborative. She can be reached at liz.flaisig@jaxtrib.org.<\/p>\n

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