WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — We continue to hear your concerns about the cost of homeowners insurance in Florida.
And those concerns seem to be backed up by a new poll released this week by the University of North Florida (UNF).
WATCH BELOW: Property insurance No. 1 issue facing Florida right now, new poll says
The statewide poll consisted of a random sample of 797 active registered Republican voters and was conducted from July 14 through July 22.
Those who answered the poll said the top issue facing the state is property insurance, with 20% of respondents indicating it is the most important problem.
This was followed by housing costs with 16% and immigration with 15%.
The economy, jobs and inflation received 13%, followed by property taxes with 12%.
"It kind of firms up what we heard last year, where affordability was the No. 1 issue," former state Sen. Jeff Brandes said.
Brandes, the founder of the Florida Policy Project, knows these issues well.
He pointed out that lawmakers this year didn't pass any major bills on insurance and even resisted efforts to pull back on litigation reforms that many insist are improving things slowly.
"I do think there needs to be some real aggressive work on what else we can do to bring rates down," Brandes said. "I think they should be actively asking these questions funding research, funding studies to look at these kind of questions, so they can come back to the next legislative session ... to help Floridians to continue to push down rates."
BankRate's July data showed an average home insurance premium in Florida was currently just under $5,700 a year, but we know many residents in South Florida are paying more.
Right now, Florida lawmakers seem focused this summer on trying to reform property taxes. They get back to work in January for the 2026 legislative session.
Matt Sczesny is determined every day to help you find solutions in Florida's coverage collapse. If you have a question or comment on homeowners insurance, you can reach out to him any time.
