There was a community meeting Tuesday at the Old West Florida Enrichment Center where city and county commissioners were asked questions about affordable housing. Residents wanted to know about what steps their elected officials are taking to help with affordable housing.
Brianna Terry recently moved back to Tallahassee after graduating from the University of Florida, and she’s looking to buy a house somewhere where she can raise her newborn. She’s currently renting, and she says that the amount she pays for rent is almost the same as she would pay for a mortgage.
“My boyfriend and I had a long conversation. We are just confused about why two professionals are living paycheck to paycheck and still trying to get by,” Terry said. “We know having a newborn is not going to be easy, but we both make decent money, so why is it hard to get approved for a home loan?”
Amid the city’s growing population there are plenty of others like Terry who are struggling to find and maintain affordable housing. Some residents are deciding if they would be better paying rent or if they can get approved for a home loan.
According to Rack café (https://www.rentcafe.com/average-rent-market-trends/us/fl/leon-county/tallahassee/), the average monthly rent in Tallahassee is $1,626 for a 1,055 square-foot apartment.
The most affordable neighborhoods in Tallahassee are Buckhead, where the average rent goes for $1,156/month, Chemonie Crossing, where renters pay $1,156/mo on average, and Emerald Acres, where the average rent is $1,156/month. If you’re looking for other great deals, check out the listings from Foxwood Glen ($1,156), Hawks Landing ($1,156), and Homestead Ridge ($1,156), where the asking prices are below the average Tallahassee rent of $1,626/month.
Brodrick Dupoint is a Tallahassee resident working full-time in healthcare who is looking for a new apartment. He says that he will also have to find a roommate. He doesn’t mind the idea of having one, but he prefers not to. He wants to live comfortably, he’s going to have to get a roommate.
“I was able to find a one-bedroom apartment that starts at $1,500 but that doesn’t include any hidden fees, let alone the electricity bill that is ridiculous for a one-bed apartment in Tallahassee, and the appliances are not even new,” he said. “With me working in healthcare and working over 40 hours a week, I thought it would be easy for me to find something affordable, but everything I found just seems unreasonable based off of the living conditions or the location, and you want me to pay over $1,500 is crazy.”