News Alert! Apparently, We Need More Houses

Want to get your business in The Southshore Circle?

Let’s Talk!

Featured Story

Can Southshore Make Room?

How population growth is impacting housing affordability in Southshore

Southshore is growing. Shocker, I know. But a new 137-page regional housing report from the Tampa Bay Partnership puts real numbers behind what many of us already know.

The region is expected to add about 564,000 new residents over the next nine years, creating more than 200,000 new households that all need somewhere to live. To keep up, Tampa Bay would need to build roughly 250,000 new housing units by 2035. We are nowhere near that pace.

Housing costs have also risen much faster than incomes. Rents and home prices jumped sharply while wages lagged behind, creating an affordability gap that keeps widening. That gap isn’t abstract. It’s why starter homes feel impossible to find and why rents seem to jump every time you blink.

One of the most alarming findings is a shortfall of more than 110,000 affordable housing units for households earning below the area median income. In plain terms, a large portion of the workforce does not have enough reasonably priced options, even as new neighborhoods continue to pop up. People are being priced out while sellers still hold onto yesterday’s expectations.

For Southshore, this explains a lot. Growth is happening fast, but affordability is falling behind. That shows up in longer commutes, tighter budgets, and fewer choices for families trying to stay close to where they work and live.

The report doesn’t just raise red flags. It calls for smarter planning, better coordination across counties, and more diverse housing options so growth doesn’t automatically mean higher prices.

Can Southshore make room? Physically, yes. The real question is whether we plan for growth or let prices decide who gets to stay.

Read the full report.

How Many Roofing Companies Can You Name?

In Southshore, you only need to know one: Steadfast Roofing

If you’re a homeowner, knowing a good roofing company is probably near the top of your list. After all, a house with no roof isn’t really a home at all. But with so many roofing companies out there, finding the right one can feel like a gamble.

Roofing companies pop up every day. If you’ve got a pickup truck and a magnetic sign, you can call yourself a roofer. But all roofing is not created equal. When storms roll through Southshore, the difference between a quick patch job and a properly built roof becomes very clear, usually at the worst possible time.

That’s where experience matters. Not just knowing how to replace shingles, but knowing how Florida weather actually works. Heat, wind, rain, and hurricanes don’t care about shortcuts, and neither should homeowners.

That’s why we like Steadfast Roofing. They don’t just show up after a storm. They focus on doing the job right the first time, using materials designed for Florida conditions and walking homeowners through their options without pressure or gimmicks. It’s less about chasing claims and more about protecting homes.

A good roof is peace of mind. It’s knowing that when the next storm shows up, you’re not staring at a ceiling wondering what’s coming through next. With Steadfast Roofing, homeowners get clarity, quality work, and a roof that’s built to hold up when it actually matters.

Because in Florida, storms are not a surprise. And your roof shouldn’t be either.

Things to do

What’s Washing Up on The Shore This Week

Keeping Teachers in Southshore Classrooms

How Florida lawmakers are trying to address the teacher shortage

If it feels like schools around Southshore are constantly hiring, reshuffling, or asking for a little extra patience, you’re not imagining it. Florida is still dealing with a teacher shortage, and lawmakers are finally trying to do something about it.

A bill moving through the Florida Senate would give school districts more flexibility to keep teachers in the classroom. That includes things like multi-year contracts and better pay for educators who earn advanced degrees. In plain terms, it’s an attempt to make teaching feel less temporary and more like a career people can actually stick with.

What makes this proposal notable is the support behind it. The state’s teachers union is backing the bill, which is not exactly an everyday occurrence. That signals a shared understanding that the shortage isn’t fixing itself, and waiting it out is no longer an option.

For families in Southshore, this matters. Growing communities mean growing schools, and growing schools need teachers who don’t burn out or move on after a couple of years. When classrooms are short-staffed, students feel it, parents feel it, and teachers feel it most of all.

This bill won’t magically solve everything, but it’s a step toward stability. And in a place where new neighborhoods keep popping up faster than classrooms can keep up, stability is a pretty good place to start.

Southshore Spotlight

Enterprising Latinas

Enterprising Latinas is a Tampa Bay nonprofit focused on economic empowerment for women, especially Latinas, by providing workforce development, career support, business coaching, education and training, and access to capital. Their programs help women build skills, launch or grow businesses, and find meaningful employment, while also addressing wage and opportunity gaps in the community. Each year, the organization serves thousands of women with training, mentoring, networking, and employment support that strengthens economic mobility and community prosperity.

Nominate your local hero by emailing us at [email protected]

We Know a Guy…or Girl

Southshore Services

Need a painter? A plumber? Someone brave enough to tackle that lightbulb orbiting 30 feet above your living room? We’ve got you. And the best part, they’re all right here in our community.

Interested in joining the list? Shoot us an email to [email protected]

“Keep it Local!”

Foodies Only

Your Restaurant

New menu items, promos, specials, events- feature them here. This is the place to tell 30,000 readers in Southshore what you've got. Only 20 spots for the year. Claim yours today.

If you’ve got a restaurant, food truck, or even a lemonade stand, it could be featured here. Email us at [email protected]

Local Sports

Our area high schools boast state champions and multiple division titleists. Come out and show your support for these teams and for our community.

Got news, events, or press releases that the Southshore needs to know about? Submit them here. (We’ll do our best to add press releases in our regular rotation.) If you’re looking to run an actual ad, go here instead.

Until next time,

Keep It Local.