January 2026 News Roundup
Now that we are solidly into the new year, let’s take a look at some of the news in affordable rural housing.
1) Affordable Housing Moves Forward in Florida: New Units Underway
Miami is breaking ground on 250 affordable housing units as part of a mixed-use development in Little River, a meaningful addition to the city’s housing stock amid ongoing affordability challenges. This local news item ties directly into broader housing demand trends statewide.
2) Rural Home Prices are Surging, Impacting Affordability
A recent analysis shows home prices in rural areas have jumped about 61% since before the pandemic, outpacing income gains and making traditional homeownership substantially more expensive for rural buyers.
Read the story on Housing Wire
3) Florida Legislature is Eyeing Aggressive Housing Reform for 2026
Florida’s 2026 legislative session includes robust housing reform efforts aimed at expanding supply, adjusting funding, and curbing price spikes, a significant policy push statewide that impacts affordable housing stakeholders.
Read the story on Housing Wire
4) New Affordable Housing Opens in Jacksonville
A $30.7 million development with 90 affordable units in West Jacksonville officially opened, offering rents scaled to income. This project reflects nonprofit and municipal collaboration that could be a model for other Florida communities.
Read the story on the Jacksonville Record
5) Bipartisan Federal Housing Bills
There are multiple national legislative efforts still in play that matter for rural housing, including the “ROAD to Housing Act” and broader housing supply packages that could affect federal rural housing financing and assistance programs. (Recent discussions on these are ongoing in Congress.)
Read the story on the National Association of Counties
6) Policy Priorities from HAC for 2026
The Housing Assistance Council (HAC) just released its 2026 Rural Housing Policy Priorities, outlining critical needs such as expanding credit access, increasing supply, and preserving USDA multi-family homes — a strong framework for analysis or commentary.
