Statewide Growth Management and Housing Affordability in Florida

Publication Date: October 2007

Publisher: James Madison Institute

Author(s): Sara Stedron; Samuel R. Staley; Leonard C. Gilroy

Research Area: Social conditions

Type: Report

Coverage: Florida

Abstract:

Florida is recognized as a national leader in the "Smart Growth" movement. The state has given housing goals a special prominence in regional and urban planning, explicitly requiring its cities to plan for a diverse range of housing needs and types. However, a growing body of research strongly suggests that some of the goals of Smart Growth's advocates may be inconsistent with the realities of housing development. To the extent that more compact, higher density urban development is encouraged through growth-management laws such as Florida's, higher housing prices could result. This report updates and extends that previous study by analyzing housing price data from 1990 to 2006. A statistical analysis of housing trends in the 56 of Florida's 67 counties found that as much as 16 percent of housing price inflation can be attributed to planning under the state's GMA, a result consistent with previous analysis and research.