Lack of affordable housing in southwest Florida is an obstacle to attracting skilled workers. That’s what C-E-O-s of several high-tech companies tell WGCU. Heads of a robotics firm, two software firms, a medical tools manufacturer, and a biotech firm spoke to Gulf Coast Live! All of them expressed concern about the rising costs of housing… and whether wages can keep up.
METI—or Medical Education Technologies Inc.—is based in Sarasota. CEO Lou Oberndorf says workforce housing is absolutely something he thinks about.

“It is very difficult for young families—and we’re attracting young engineers. Our people tend to have to commute farther and farther away… up and down 75.”

According to the Florida Association of Realtors, the average price of an existing home in the state has climbed 27 percent in the last year… to just over 230-thousand dollars.