Pioneer Institute Launches New Florida Initiative, Seeking Brighter Future for Sunshine State

New Polling Finds Housing Costs, Education Primary Concerns for Florida Voters

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Pioneer Institute, one of the nation's leading independent think tanks, launched an ambitious new research initiative in Florida aimed at progressing solutions for two of the state's most critical issues: housing and education.

On housing, Pioneer will work to make homes more affordable and accessible by promoting policies which increase supply, reduce regulatory barriers, and address the burden of rising property taxes and home insurance costs.

Florida provides an exceptional number of school choice opportunities but can still improve the quality of these offerings. On education, Pioneer will direct its efforts toward improving accountability in traditional public schools, while supporting greater academic rigor and providing better information for parents as they navigate the next phase of Florida's universal education choice program. 

Pioneer will focus its deep research capability toward achieving these goals, starting with two new data products released with the launch: a public poll about the housing market and an original Starter Home Index. In coming weeks, Pioneer will also roll out a report on the state's academic standards, a home insurance reform tool, video testimonials from Florida families, and regular data analyses.

NEW POLL: HOUSING IS UNAFFORDABLE

In September, Pioneer conducted a new poll of 500 Florida residents to measure opinion on the state's housing system, offering fresh insights into the top concerns of homeowners and renters.

Key findings include:

• 74 percent of respondents said they will vote in favor of Amendment 3, "Save Our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes."
• 80 percent of respondents who are homeowners said insurance costs are a burden.
  • More than 60% said property taxes, utility prices, and maintenance costs are also burdensome.
• 74 percent of respondents who are renters said high asking prices are a barrier to purchasing a home.
  • Approximately 70% said the price of insurance, down payments, and interest rates are also obstacles.

STARTER HOME INDEX: MOST EXPENSIVE MARKETS

Using publicly available housing price data, Pioneer's housing economics team created a comparative Starter Home Index. The tool highlights the skyrocketing costs preventing families from buying their first homes, while helping prospective buyers navigate the Florida housing market. Features include:

• A real-time market snapshot of the most expensive cities and counties to purchase a starter home in Florida, including Palm Beach and Miami-Dade, as well as the least expensive areas.
  
  
• An interactive heat map showing users the median price for a two-bedroom single-family home in every Florida city and county.

STATEMENTS FROM FLORIDA THOUGHT LEADERS

"Florida is a national leader and a point of reference for policymakers across the country," said Jim Stergios, executive director of Pioneer Institute. "We are building a sustained presence because Florida's leaders have shown a real appetite for innovation and problem-solving, and Pioneer can bring serious research, data, and policy development to support that work. Get the policies right in Florida, and many other states will follow."

"Florida had school choice before school choice was cool," said Julie Young, founder of Florida Virtual School. "Building Florida Virtual School taught us that when students are at the center, systems can reinvent themselves. The challenge now is quality. Families deserve clear information; every option should be held accountable, and teachers need serious preparation for classrooms that AI is already reshaping. With the rise of AI, research that helps us prepare and empower educators is more important than ever."

"Continuing to improve Florida's public education system is a huge task," said Doug Tuthill, past president of Step up for Students and distinguished senior fellow on education at Pioneer Institute. "We are in the midst of one of the most important institutional transformations in American history. We need national experts like Pioneer to help Florida and other states navigate the next chapter in education choice."

"We're proud of our K-12 track record across the country and in Florida," said Jamie Gass, director of education at Pioneer Institute. "For two decades, we've worked with Florida policymakers to help revolutionize the state's education system, including with Julie Young in her pioneering work leading the Florida Virtual School, as well as supporting state-led efforts to eliminate the Common Core in their ELA standards. We're excited to build on this history and continue to help deliver long-term results in education."

"We need a comprehensive approach to put housing costs back within reach for Florida families," said Andrew Mikula, chief housing economist at Pioneer Institute. "That means not only making it easier and less expensive to build new homes, but also lowering the tax, insurance, and maintenance burdens on existing homeowners."

About Pioneer Institute

Pioneer Institute is a leading independent, nonpartisan think tank with a track record of groundbreaking research and advocacy in Florida, helping usher in the introduction of school choice and the repeal of the Common Core System. We believe a flourishing society depends on liberty, personal responsibility, free enterprise, and limited, accountable government. Those foundations are maintained by an educated, engaged citizenry willing to test ideas through evidence and open debate. To learn more, visit PioneerInstitute.org.

SOURCE Pioneer Institute