ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — St. Petersburg City Councilman Richie Floyd isn’t holding back when it comes to his thoughts on Florida's new housing law, which preempts local landlord-tenant relations like St. Pete's Tenants Bill of Rights.
“The state government doesn't seem to care about working people across Florida," he said. “You won't be notified of your rights right when you sign your lease…and landlords are able to discriminate based on where you get your money from."
When the legislation passed earlier this year, lawmakers argued it would be more consistent for landlords with properties in different jurisdictions if the rules were "one size fits all" across the state.
Month-to-month renters who fought for the St. Pete Tenants Bill of Rights like Karla Correa say the new law is “insulting.”
Correa is in the St. Pete Tenants Union, regularly protesting for tenants’ rights.
"We all know how hard it is to find affordable housing here in St. Pete,” she said. “We've seen people become homeless and have to leave the city."
Now, Floyd is looking for ways to bring, at least, some of the protections back without breaking the state rules. He's prompted the city council to see if there are ways to use federal law to help prevent income discrimination against people who have housing vouchers.
"We're exploring the possibilities of creating anti-discrimination ordinances to make sure that tenants can still access housing no matter where their money comes from," he said.