ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Two groups in Orange County are now suing the elections office, to get rent control off the November ballot.
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That’s when voters are set to decide whether to put a cap on rent increases.
Orange County’s new rent control proposal would put a cap on rent increases at 5% or the rate of inflation, whichever figure is lower.
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One of the groups behind the lawsuit says rent control is not the right move.
In the lawsuit, the Florida Realtors Association and the Florida Apartment Association want to put a stop to the rent increase cap.
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They are asking the court for an injunction and for the proposal to be tossed from the ballot altogether.
In a statement, the associations said: “Florida Realtors has long advocated for affordable housing. Studies show that rent control has unintended consequences that can make matters worse. A better solution would be to pursue public-private partnerships that result in more affordable housing units.”
The Florida Apartment Association also added that “the Orange County Commission voted to move a fundamentally flawed rent control measure to the general election ballot. In response to this violation of state law, FAA filed a swift legal challenge alongside the Florida Realtors seeking to prevent Orange County’s rent control measure from advancing to the November ballot.”
Though it was the Orange County Commission that passed the rent control measure, the lawsuit is suing Orange County Supervisor of Elections, Bill Cowles.
Watch more in the video above.