The Affordable Housing Crisis Is Real. Here’s Steven’s Affordable Housing Plan to Solve It.
Port Saint Lucie is one of the fastest-growing cities in America. New developments are popping up on every major corridor. Population numbers are climbing. And on the surface, that kind of growth looks like success.
But here’s what those headlines don’t tell you: for thousands of working families right here in PSL, that growth is making life harder, not easier. Rents are going up. Home prices have surged beyond what most middle-income earners can realistically afford. And the people who built this city, the teachers, the nurses, the firefighters, the small business owners, the seniors who have lived here for 30 years, are being quietly pushed out of the community they love.
That is not progress. That is a failure of leadership. And it’s exactly the kind of problem that Steven Giordano is running for Mayor to fix.
What the Numbers Actually Tell Us
Let’s be honest about what’s happening in our housing market, because the data is hard to ignore.
According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, Florida consistently ranks among the least affordable states in the country for renters. In St. Lucie County, housing costs have been climbing at a pace that far outstrips local wage growth. What that means in plain terms is this: you can work full-time, play by all the rules, and still not be able to afford a decent home in the city where you work.
The Florida Housing Finance Corporation defines workforce housing as homes priced for households earning between 60% and 120% of the area median income, the exact bracket that covers most of PSL’s essential workers. That’s the segment of the market that has been hardest hit, and it’s the segment that has been most neglected by local policy for years.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development defines housing as “affordable” when a family spends no more than 30% of their income on it. By that standard, a significant and growing number of Port Saint Lucie residents are housing cost-burdened, meaning they’re spending more than they should just to keep a roof over their heads, leaving less for food, healthcare, childcare, and everything else that makes a life.
This isn’t an abstract policy debate. It’s the reality at kitchen tables all across PSL right now.
Why Steven Is the Right Person to Solve It
Steven Giordano has spent his entire adult life in Port Saint Lucie. He moved here in 1989, raised his family here, and built his career here. He served nearly 17 years in public safety, with the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office and as a Nuclear Security Officer at the St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant. He also works as a licensed Florida Realtor, which means he doesn’t just understand the housing crisis in theory. He sees it play out in real transactions, with real families, every single day.
When a first-time buyer gets priced out of a neighborhood they grew up in, Steven sees it. When a senior on a fixed income gets a rent increase letter they can’t afford to absorb, Steven hears about it. When a young couple decides to leave PSL because they simply can’t make the math work, Steven feels that loss, not as a politician reading a briefing, but as a neighbor who understands exactly what this city loses when good people leave.
That lived experience, combined with his background in law enforcement, community service, and real estate, makes Steven uniquely prepared to lead on this issue in a way that career politicians simply cannot.
Steven’s Five-Point Plan for Affordable Housing in PSL
Steven’s approach to the housing crisis is grounded in practical, actionable solutions. Here’s what he’s committed to doing as Mayor.
1. Cut the Red Tape on Permitting
One of the single biggest drivers of high housing costs is the time and money it takes to get a project approved. Lengthy, complicated permitting processes in Florida add months, sometimes years, to development timelines. Those delays translate directly into higher construction costs, which get passed on to buyers and renters.
Steven’s plan starts with a top-to-bottom review of PSL’s permitting and approval process. The goal is to make City Hall faster, more transparent, and more responsive, without compromising safety or quality standards. A streamlined system means more homes built more quickly, which means more supply on the market, and more options for families at every income level.
2. Create Real Incentives for Workforce Housing
The private market will not solve this problem on its own. Developers build what’s profitable, and right now, luxury units are more profitable than workforce housing. That’s why local government needs to step in with targeted incentives, tax abatements, density bonuses, fee reductions, for developers who commit to building homes priced for working families.
Steven’s plan includes working closely with the Florida Housing Finance Corporation and other state programs to unlock funding and resources that can make workforce housing development economically viable for builders in Port Saint Lucie. This is how cities across the country have successfully expanded their affordable housing stock, and it’s a model that works.
3. Protect Seniors and Long-Term Residents from Displacement
Affordable housing isn’t only about building new homes. It’s also about making sure the people who already live here aren’t forced out.
Seniors on fixed incomes are among the most vulnerable residents in PSL when it comes to rapid housing cost increases. Many of them have lived in the same home or apartment for decades. They built this community. They should not have to choose between paying rent and buying groceries.
Steven is committed to advocating for stronger support programs for elderly residents at risk of displacement, including working with county and state partners to expand access to housing assistance and property tax relief programs for those who need them most. You can read more about his commitment to every segment of the PSL community on his priorities page.
4. Plan for Mixed-Income, Livable Communities
Growth without planning isn’t progress, it’s chaos. Steven’s vision for housing development is directly connected to his broader economic growth and infrastructure plan for Port Saint Lucie. That means encouraging mixed-income development that integrates affordable and workforce units into well-designed, well-served neighborhoods, not isolating them on the edges of the city where transit, schools, and services are hardest to access.
Smart growth means building communities where families across the income spectrum can live, work, and thrive side by side. It means thinking not just about how many units we build, but where they go, what services surround them, and whether they’re actually designed for long-term livability.
5. Build Public-Private Partnerships That Deliver Results
No mayor solves a housing crisis alone. It takes developers, nonprofits, employers, banks, and community organizations all working together with a clear framework and accountable leadership. Steven plans to actively pursue and broker those partnerships, bringing together the public and private sectors around shared goals and measurable outcomes.
Port Saint Lucie has assets that can attract serious partners, a growing population, a strong labor market, and a community that deeply values putting down roots. The missing ingredient has been leadership willing to sit at the table, make the hard calls, and follow through. That’s exactly what Steven brings.
This Is About More Than Housing, It’s About What Kind of City We’re Building
The affordable housing crisis touches everything. It affects whether our public schools can attract and retain great teachers. It affects whether our police and fire departments can recruit from within the community they serve. It affects whether small businesses can find workers who can afford to live nearby. It affects whether PSL’s seniors can age in place with dignity. It affects whether young families choose to stay and invest in this city or quietly leave for somewhere more affordable.
When Steven says “working families deserve to stay in the city they love,” he means all of it. He means a Port Saint Lucie where opportunity is real, not just rhetorical. Where the people who do the essential work of this city, who teach our kids, protect our streets, care for our sick, and build our homes, can actually afford to live here.
That’s the city Steven Giordano is running to build.
Get Involved and Make Your Voice Heard
The housing crisis won’t fix itself, and it won’t be solved by leaders who treat it as a talking point. It takes a mayor who understands the problem from the inside, has a concrete plan to address it, and has the integrity and accountability to deliver results.
If you believe Port Saint Lucie families deserve better, join the movement. Volunteer with the campaign, attend an upcoming community event, or reach out to the team directly. Your voice matters, and your involvement makes a difference.
Because no one should have to leave the city they love, and with Steven Giordano as Mayor, they won’t have to.
Steven Giordano is running for Mayor of Port Saint Lucie. Learn more about his full platform and vision at steveng4psl.com.
Leave a Reply