Florida governor candidate Nikki Fried talks rising rent and Medicaid expansion in Sarasota

Democratic gubernatorial candidate and Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried outlined her concerns regarding rising rents in the state, particularly for seniors, at an event this week in Sarasota.

“Florida seniors have one thing in common: Florida has become unaffordable,” Fried said. “And we need to make sure that we are giving our seniors every quality way of life, and we’re failing them. Every single day.”

As part of her Lower Costs, Higher Standards tour ahead of the August Democratic primary, Fried visited Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park on Cocoanut Ave. Thursday afternoon.

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Fried said that on her first day as governor, she would declare a housing emergency, which would allow the state government to utilize reserve money for housing purposes. She also mentioned her intention to pass a “Seniors Bill of Rights” that covers issues such as ensuring access to transportation, lowering prescription drug costs and Medicaid expansion.

Rising rent

Fried emphasized concerns about rent increases, the need for more rental assistance programs to alleviate evictions, and called for improved conditions in public housing facilities.

“How can we have people that live in our state, and move to our state, and have no place to live? Having a roof over your head is fundamental to a working democracy, fundamental to a quality way of life,” she said.

The Sadowski Affordable Housing Act, passed in 1992, established a permanent source of funding for affordable housing in the state. However, Fried called out the last four administrations for slashing the fund, stating that she “will never sign a budget that touches a cent from Sadowski. I will veto the entire budget, and send it back to the legislature.”

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Inflation in March was 8.5%, the highest it has been since 1981, but rent has skyrocketed at a much higher rate.

“We need to be looking at different programs, that if a landlord has to go over inflationary rates, that there's some program that they have to petition to, to increase the rent,” Fried said, also mentioning that her plan would apply to hotel room charges.

Expanding healthcare coverage

Addressing a healthcare system that she described as “failing”, Fried summarized reforms she intends to implement if she is elected.

“We have too many people that are in our rural communities, that are in some of our poverty [stricken] areas, that don't have access to health care, or their employers are not covering,” Fried said.

Deeming Medicaid expansion a beneficial financial move for the state, Fried said the initiative would increase the number of primary doctor visits instead of costlier trips to the emergency room. Expansion would also, she said, allow for higher access to preventative medication and medicine, also decreasing emergency room visits.

Gun control debate

Fried, as the overseer of Florida’s concealed weapons program, offered solutions when asked how she thinks mass shootings could be prevented.

“There's a lot of things that we could do here in the state of Florida, including increasing the age, including having background checks for ammunition, having a sin tax on the purchasing of guns as well as the ammunition, making sure that we are outlawing different things like high-powered magazines,” Fried said.

She called for action at the national level, saying “this is what we are raising in America, a generation that is scared to go to school, and they don't feel safe."

With over two months until the Aug. 23 primary, and over five months until the Nov. 8 general election, Fried will remain on the campaign trail.

“If we're not understanding the situation, and not caring about the situation, then you're not coming up with ideas, that are outside the box, to solve it,” Fried said.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Medicaid expansion, affordable rent addressed by Nikki Fried in Sarasota