BOUQS & BRICKS

BOUQUETS

Sulzbacher Center for receiving the National APA Gold Award. The American Psychiatric Association recognized Sulzsbacher for its overwhelming success with its Mental Health Offenders Program (MHOP). In collaboration with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and other community partners, MHOP seeks to break the cycle of repeated arrests for individuals with mental illness by providing wraparound support to reintegrate them into the community after release. The program helps them to obtain permanent housing and other assistance. As a result of the program, community costs dropped by more than half from previous years.

BRICKBATS

The State of Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis for signing legislation in March of 2023 banning rent control. Governed by FL Stat 125.0103, this ban enables landlords to set rent and increase it at any time given they provide notice. However the state fails to regulate or intervene on how much a landlord can raise the rent. According to rent.com the average median price for an apartment in Jacksonville rose by 10.5% over last year making the average price $1,804. (According to rent-to-income ratios, that would mean you would need to make at least $75,000 to comfortably afford that rent.) This is particularly disconcerting since the household income in Jacksonville is $58,263 annually. Plus, it’s nearly impossible to get housing assistance unless you make less than $50,000 so these gaps are a problem. The state needs to implement rent control. And soon.