Sarasota’s effort to directly develop affordable housing downtown — an unprecedented, city-led plan championed by former City Manager Marlon Brown — faltered after the city spent more than $7 million on land without a finalized construction budget or financing strategy and as anticipated state and philanthropic funding did not come through. It has now reemerged with an unsolicited, scaled-back proposal from a local developer whose low cost estimates and lack of high-rise experience have prompted questions from housing and real estate experts about feasibility, due diligence and next steps.

New registration requirements, annual fees and stricter enforcement for residential rental properties in Cape Coral took effect Jan. 1 aimed at increasing accountability and funding code enforcement.The changes, adopted under Ordinance 53-25 and Resolution 279-25 and approved by a City Council vote last year, require all residential rental properties — both long-term and short-term — to register annually with the city. Officials say the updated program allows Cape Coral to better track rental properties, respond to complaints and recover enforcement-related costs.

Moving can be a stressful endeavor: selling your home, showing your home to prospective buyers, negotiating a price, buying another home, packing up, unpacking — it can be a high-stress activity.Research carried out by federally legal cannabis retailer, Mood, analyzed 355 U.S. metro areas across and found seven of the top 10 most stressful places for moving are in Florida and four of them are right here in Southwest Florida — Naples, Punta Gorda, North Port and Cape Coral.

Habitat for Humanity dedicates a new home in McNeill Village. First single-family home completed with CDBG-DR funds in Lee County.

Collier County leaders are refusing to approve hundreds of new homes on farmland east of Collier Boulevard. Commissioners voted Tuesday to continue an item for the approval to build 423 homes on 170 acres along Sabal Palm Road.

Site work is underway on FGCU’s workforce housing project behind Gulf Coast Town Center. The housing site is adjacent to West Lake Village and Gulf Coast Town Center and will include 74 cottage-style homes and townhomes.

A court ruled against Lee County in a case that could affect new housing projects. One of them, Kingston Development, is planned for thousands of homes in southeast Lee County. The circuit court judge's ruling went against Lee County in the approval of a waste-water treatment plant on Alico Road.

There is talk in Tallahassee of giving new help to homestead property owners, more than 30 years after Florida voters approved a constitutional amendment to restrict increases in real estate tax assessments on owner-occupied residences.

Officials broke ground Thursday morning on a huge, new housing development in the Dunbar community in Fort Myers.Legacy Point will have 373 units. It will be built on what used to be Southward Village in Dunbar.

The Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance will open a new housing application cycle on Oct 1. Sixteen qualifying families will receive the opportunity to live in a two- or three- bedroom apartment. Four of the units are designated for people with special needs.