For most of my career, I sat on the local government side of Florida’s homelessness crisis and watched as businesses and citizens blamed city and county organizations for the problem. They want us to punish the houseless for being on the street, which often only exacerbates the problem. In my work now as a mediator, I see where a major driver of the problem can start—eviction.

That’s why Alec Chapa’s recent piece in ICMA’s PM Magazine, “Early Housing Dispute Resolution Improves Health, Safety, and Economic Growth,” is so compelling. Alec is a colleague of mine, and he lays out a case I wish every city manager, commissioner, county administrator, and other public officials in Florida would read closely.

A Practical Approach to Early Housing Dispute Resolution
His argument is refreshingly practical. Rather than treating a housing provider and a resident as opponents fighting over a fixed pie, early conflict resolution brings them to the table before a filing, before turnover, before anyone ends up in a shelter or on the street.

The Data Behind Eviction Prevention
The numbers he cites are hard to argue with. Philadelphia’s program cut eviction cases from 22,000 before the pandemic to 14,000 in 2024, resolving 70 percent of disputes outside of court. Utah’s prevention approach reduced chronic homelessness by 74 percent while cutting per-person costs from $20,000 to $8,000. When a city like San Antonio can make shared-cost prevention work despite ranking among the most impoverished in the country, the rest of us should be paying attention.

Why Florida Should Pay the Closest Attention
Florida should be paying the closest attention of all. Our cost of living has climbed to the point where one missed month of rent can start a spiral that ends in homelessness. We feel it across Broward, across South Florida, across the whole state. The courts feel it too — crowded eviction dockets, backlogged cases, and outcomes that leave both sides worse off. A judgment on paper is one thing. What it costs a family, a housing provider, and a community to get there is something else entirely.

Cities Already Know How to Build This Work
The trust that makes conflict resolution succeed has to be built, funded, and understood before disputes erupt, the same way we plan any system a community depends on. Cities already know this work. We plan it, we budget for it, we maintain it. Applying that same discipline to housing conflict sits well within reach for any Florida municipality willing to lead.

Compassion and Fiscal Responsibility Together
This approach lets a community honor compassion and fiscal responsibility at the same time. Alec makes the point that prevention delivers on public health, public safety, and the budget together. For local leaders weighing hard trade-offs, that combination is rare and worth protecting.

One Piece of a Complex Puzzle
Housing is a complex puzzle, and no single tool solves it. Early conflict resolution is one piece — a piece that pays for itself, keeps families housed, and keeps housing providers whole. In a state where the math gets harder every year, that is a piece worth reaching for.

I’m grateful to Alec for putting this framework in front of our profession, and I’m eager to help Florida communities figure out where it fits.

Frequently Asked Questions
What is early housing dispute resolution?

Early housing dispute resolution brings a housing provider and a resident to the table before an eviction filing, with a neutral conflict resolution professional helping them reach an agreement. It happens before turnover, before court, and before anyone ends up in a shelter—keeping the resident housed and the housing provider whole.

How does eviction prevention save cities money?
Prevention costs a fraction of the alternative. Utah’s approach cut per-person costs from $20,000 to $8,000 while reducing chronic homelessness by 74 percent. Cities also avoid the downstream expense of crowded eviction dockets, backlogged courts, and emergency shelter services.

Can conflict resolution reduce homelessness in Florida?
Yes. In a state where one missed month of rent can start a spiral into homelessness, resolving disputes early keeps families in their homes. Programs in Philadelphia, Utah, and San Antonio show measurable drops in evictions and homelessness, and the same approach sits within reach for any Florida municipality willing to lead.

Sarah Hannah-Spurlock is a Florida Supreme Court-Certified mediator with over 25 years of experience serving in local governments in Texas and Florida.