SARASOTA, Fla. — In the Tampa Bay area, the affordable housing crisis is a challenge many people face.
Seeing the crisis through a different lens, photographer Susan Sidebottom is showing how it affects people in her new exhibit named "A Place in The Sun."
This exhibit at Art Center Sarasota features 25 photographs and narratives of real people in the area who are struggling with or lack affordable housing and basic shelter needs.
After officially debuting Thursday, guests can visit the exhibit all the way through next month ending April 30.
Sidebottom's goal is to "offer a deeper understanding of the connection between people and their circumstances," a news release from the Gulf Coast Community Foundation explains.
"I really want them to have an emotive response to the work," Sidebottom said. "I think if they can have that type of response then they may leave and think about the images and think about these people in their lives. I hope they think how can I be part of the solution."
A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Harvest House which is a supportive housing provider.
"Too often when we talk about affordable housing and homelessness, we think in terms of statistics…," Jon Thaxton, the non-profit's Senior Vice President for Community Leadership, said. "We wanted to put a face on it. We wanted people to see that these are real human beings."
With more and more people moving to the Sunshine State, inflation and other factors continue to drive up demand and prices among an increasingly-smaller housing market.
And those price hikes all add up to one hard truth: the average renter in the city of Tampa is spending 42 percent of their income to keep a roof over their head. That's according to a report from Online Mortgage Advisor.
Data gathered by Online Mortgage Advisor shows between 2017 and 2021, 48 percent of cities around the world became less affordable for renters.