JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A newly released report from UNF titled “Jacksonville’s Affordable Rental Housing Crisis: Description, Diagnosis, and Potential Policy Solutions” shows 47.7% of renters in Jacksonville pay more than a third of their income towards rent.
It’s data to back up what many of you renting a home are currently experiencing first-hand. The fact that rent expenses are cutting into more of your paychecks every year.
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Brandon Butler lived in Texas but moved back to Jacksonville, his hometown about six months ago.
”I got laid off about a year ago, and I couldn’t afford the rent prices down there,” he shared.
So he’s now renting a two bedroom apartment with his brother, which he sees as a blessing in disguise.
”We are lucky,” he acknowledged. “If I didn’t have him, I’d probably have to do something I didn’t wanna do to be able to survive, maybe do a house share or something like that.”
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”You only have so much money,” he further elaborated, “What do they say, rent’s supposed to be like 30 percent of your salary?”
Butler is right, that’s supposed to be the standard. If you’re paying more than that, you’re considered to be cost-burdened.
A newly released report from UNF shows nearly half of all renters (47.7%) in Jacksonville fall into that category.
Nearly a quarter (23.2%) pay more than half their income towards rent, and they’re considered to be severely cost-burdened.
Researchers believe this is still an underestimate since the data is from 2019 and rent significantly spiked in 2020, with rates still going up today.
Data from Zillow in that report shows the median rent for a two bedroom apartment used to be $1,074 in January of 2020. That went up to $1,442 in November of last year.
So, a renter looking to live in a two-bedroom apartment would have to make at least $22.85 an hour to avoid being cost-burdened.
”That’s a tough pill to swallow,” Butler said. “But it doesn’t surprise me.”
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”It’s the usual business process where they entice you with OK rent, better than what you’re hearing around town,” Butler recounted from experience, “And then the following year, it goes up.”
One of the solutions in that report is for lawmakers to create a Tenant Bill of Rights.
It would offer renters more protections and limit a landlord’s ability to arbitrarily raise prices.
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”The average person thinks they’re pretty helpless,” he pointed out. “They just have to make the best of the situation.”
But for now, Butler’s taking it day-by-day with one motto: “Just kinda count your blessings and be thankful for what you do have,” he emphasized.
And he’s staying optimistic.
”I think it will get better,” he said. “I’m easily one of, like, the naysayers, (saying) ‘Oh, I think we’re going to go into a recession,’” he admitted. “But ultimately, I think we will get to a better place.”
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