New Op-Ed in The Miami Herald Shines a Light on Florida's Abusive Preemption of Tenant Protections

A recent op-ed published in The Miami Herald shines a bright light on H.B.1417, a law signed last summer by Governor Ron DeSantis in Florida. The law is a classic example of abusive preemption, overriding and eliminating nearly 50 tenant protection ordinances that have passed in 35 cities all across Florida. It handcuffs local leaders and blocks them from making decisions about housing access and tenants’ rights in their own communities.

The piece was written by Jessy Correa, a program manager with Cornerstone Connections in Orange County, and a survivor of domestic violence who advocates for women; and Santra Denis, executive director of the Miami Workers Center.

Here’s an excerpt from the op-ed (which you can read in full here):

The trend of state government officials taking power away from local governments is not unique to Florida or to the issue of housing. This is an issue of state lawmakers abusing the legislative tool of preemption. Traditional preemption emphasized balance between state and local levels of government and often addressed equity issues, but policymakers across the country are now abusing preemption to prohibit local governments from advancing policies meant to address equity, housing justice, worker protections and more. While abusive preemption and bills like HB 1417 are designed to scare us into inaction, we must keep speaking up against the bullies in Tallahassee. We know how discouraging it is to feel that the state has taken away our power, but we can’t give up the fight. Frankly, we don’t have a choice. We are seeing more families on the streets because we don’t have the protections to help them. For many, especially more vulnerable populations, securing tenant protections is the difference between staying housed or being forced into homelessness.

Our challenge to local elected officials? Let’s get creative. We’ve seen what can happen when we think outside the box, like when Miami-Dade County agreed to Miami Workers Center’s demands in 2022 to fund legal representation in eviction court and ensure tenants were informed of available anti-displacement resources. Whether it’s through extending local dollars to protect tenants, holding the line on ordinances not impacted by preemption or pushing state officials to hold their colleagues accountable for the onslaught of bills harming our communities, we must explore every possible avenue to keep people housed. Even in the face of the challenges brought about by HB 1417, our collective determination as Floridians is strong. The fight against preemption stretches beyond party lines; this is about making sure all communities can thrive.

Read more about abusive preemption of housing protections from Local Solutions Support Center.

And don’t miss the full op-ed here from Jessy and Santra.