Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs New building safety legislation ensuring that Florida’s aging condos have the money to undertake necessary repairs could trigger the “next wave of homeless people” in the state, Florida State House Representative Mike Caruso has warned.Republican lawmaker Caruso, an ally of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, is calling for legislators in Tallahassee to amend the controversial new law, SB 4D, which has triggered the unfolding condominiums crisis in South Florida.Why It MattersFollowing the tragic collapse of the Champlain Tower South in Surfside in 2021, which killed 98 people, Florida legislators passed a bill requiring condos aged 30 and above to undergo regular inspections and forcing homeowners associations to put aside the money to fully fund any necessary repairs or maintenance.The law came into force at the end of last year. In the lead-up to that crucial deadline, South Florida markets saw a sudden spike in the number of condo owners trying to sell their properties, as many feared not being able to meet the higher costs required by the new legislation. According to experts and critical lawmakers, elderly owners will likely be the most affected by the new law.What To KnowDeSantis previously called for lawmakers to amend the current legislation and offer relief to Florida condo owners, but so far, no changes have been made.Last month, Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez, a Miami Republican, said that SB 4D couldn’t be discussed or modified during the legislative special session called by the governor to pass measures facilitating the implementation of President Donald Trump’s agenda.Caruso, who was in favor of the legislation discussing changes to the law during the special legislative session, told the Miami Herald last month that elderly residents living in Florida’s aging condos will soon be foreclosed on because they would no longer be able to afford the monthly increases required by the new legislation.
A homeless person feeds pigeons during a heat wave in Miami, Florida, on June 26, 2023.
A homeless person feeds pigeons during a heat wave in Miami, Florida, on June 26, 2023.
GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images
“Our next wave of homeless people will be our fixed-income elderly who could no longer afford the triple reserves or the quadruple dues that their condos that they have lived in for often 20, 30, 40 years are assessing them at this point,” he told the Herald.”It’s sad, and we’re not going to address it here in the Florida House,” the lawmaker said. “I’m shocked by it.” Caruso’s 87th District alone, which comprises parts of Palm Beach County, includes tens of thousands of condo units.Ninety percent of Florida’s 1.6 million condos are older than 30 years, according to data from the Associated Press. As per the Florida Coalition To End Homelessness, there are currently more than 31,000 homeless people living in the Sunshine State; more than 8,000 of these—equal to 27 percent of the total—are aged 55 and over.What People Are SayingFlorida House Speaker Daniel Perez said in a speech last month: “The tragedy of the collapse in Surfside is a painful reminder of what happens when we don’t get the law right.”Florida Governor Ron DeSantis told Florida Politics last month: “We’re now seeing some problems that I think were unintended that have popped up, and we have a responsibility to act to make sure that people can stay in their condo units. The Legislature should not be doing anything that’s going to cause someone to have to flee because of an artificial mandate.”What Happens NextWhile changes to the law are still to be discussed and are far from certain, the Sunshine State’s 2025 to 2026 budget includes more than $600 million for home and condo risk-mitigation programs—something that could help struggling condo owners in South Florida.The funding will be channeled into the My Safe Florida Home, a pilot program offering grants of up to $175,000 per condo association for mitigation projects. The program has a waitlist of 45,000 property owners, according to Insurance Business, and the new funding will allow it to add 10,000 new slots.
