Renting is on The Rise, But at What Cost?

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From Flooded Streets to Flooded Markets: Southshore’s New “Rent-Only” Reality

Last week, we talked about how overdevelopment is turning Southshore into a part-time swamp every time we get more than a sneeze of rain. Well, the development train hasn’t slowed one bit, it just made another stop in Wimauma.

SkyMor Southshore Bay Townhomes is officially open for business… but only if your business is renting. This isn’t your neighbor moving out and putting their house on Zillow. Nope — this is another “build-to-rent” community, the kind popping up all over the Tampa area like mushrooms after a storm. BTRs (that’s the trendy acronym) have grown 300% in the last five years.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not anti-renting. Plenty of folks rent while they’re getting their finances in order, testing out neighborhoods, or just avoiding mowing a lawn. Traditionally, single-home owners renting out their houses — even using a property manager — kept our local economy humming. But when giant corporations with deep pockets start buying or building whole neighborhoods just to rent, the game changes.

These corporate landlords can undercut, overprice, or even take a loss to squeeze out small landlords and first-time buyers. And when you’ve got entire communities where no one owns the land under their feet, it pushes ownership further out of reach for people who actually want it.

At SkyMor, two-bedroom units start at $2,300 and four-bedroom units at $3,300. Meanwhile, the cost of owning keeps climbing right along with rental prices. So yes, the floodwaters might eventually recede from our streets, but this flood of rent-only housing? That’s going to be a lot harder to drain.

Stay dry out there, Southshore, and keep an eye on the fine print before you sign that lease.

Things to do

What’s Washing Up on The Shore This Week

Teacher Shortages, Bus Driver Shortages… Stop Us If You’ve Heard This One

We’ve heard this song and dance before, and honestly, it’s getting old. Not enough teachers, not enough bus drivers, not enough of… well, anything. The school year’s about to kick off, and Hillsborough County is once again running short on the people who keep classrooms running and buses rolling.

This isn’t a failure of the profession. It’s an economics failure from our leaders. If you have a hard time filling positions, offer more money. It’s that simple. That’s basic supply and demand, and something that should’ve been done a long time ago.

Now, to be fair, things are slightly better than last year. Teacher vacancies have dropped from 600 to 430, and bus driver openings from 150 to 50. The teachers’ union credits voters who approved the mileage referendum, boosting pay for teachers and support staff. But even with the improvement, hundreds of classrooms will start the year without a permanent teacher.

And here’s the thing, these shortages ripple. Teachers lose planning time, staff gets stretched thin, and students feel the difference. Add in the fact that one in four children in our area struggles with food insecurity, and you can see how starting the school year already behind is a recipe for frustration.

Feeding Tampa Bay is stepping up with school pantries at 79 campuses (soon to be 85), making sure kids have the fuel they need to learn. It’s a bright spot, but it doesn’t fix the underlying issue: until our decision-makers start treating education staffing like the priority it is, we’re going to be stuck in this same back-to-school rerun every year.

So, welcome to the 2025-2026 school year. Let’s hope the people in charge decide to finally change the tune.

Southshore Spotlight

Searching for a Hero

Is there a community champion in your life? Someone who’s always stepping up, giving back, and making Southshore a better place? We’d love to meet them.

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

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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.

Click here to check out our growing list of service pros.

“Keep it Local!”

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Foodies Only

Marcos Pizza Apollo Beach

WE DELIVER!

From delicious pizzas, Wings, Boneless Wings, and Subs to fresh salads, we’ve got something for everyone. Order now!!!!

Local Sports

The Season’s almost here. Stay tuned.

News or Events you’d like to share? Email us at: [email protected] 

Until next time,

Keep It Local.