4
Credit: DisneyLast year, when the union representing Walt Disney World cast members fought for and got a raise, it was a significant victory. However, the union could not have foreseen the explosion in the cost of living in Central Florida, which has essentially voided that raise.
Related: The Supreme Court Sides With DeSantis in Punishing Disney World Cast Members
Despite that, there were signs of hope for every Disney World cast member who lives in Central Florida. In late 2023, Florida Gov Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 102, known as the Live Local Law, which, among other things, granted significant tax breaks to developers who include affordable housing among their building developments.
This would be a significant win for Disney World workers struggling to find housing in the red-hot Central Florida markets. However, local municipalities in the area surrounding Walt Disney World are attacking those tax breaks and the affordable housing they provide.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, Lake County, which is adjacent to the Walt Disney World Resort, they voted to deny property tax exemptions for anyone who builds an affordable housing complex. Winter Park, Florida’s City Commission voted unanimously to do the same, and Maitland is expected to follow suit this week.
The Live Local Law would have provided developers with 70 or more affordable housing units in their apartment complexes with a 75 percent savings on their property tax bill. The developers would have had to keep the rent “affordable” for those people making less than $90,000 a year for a couple.
If the couple in question are Disney World workers, their combined income before taxes would be approximately $83,000, assuming they both worked 40 hours a week at $20 an hour.
Homelessness has long been an issue for Disney workers. Some estimates put the total number of Disney employees who are facing homelessness at 10 percent.
Florida recently passed a series of laws that criminalized homelessness and sleeping in public spaces. Local municipalities have also passed laws making it illegal for people to sleep in their cars, leaving some Disney workers with few options.
The Supreme Court sided with Florida Gov Ron DeSantis and the laws he signed, saying that cities and states have the right to ban people from sleeping in public spaces and can arrest them for doing so.
Walt Disney World has broken ground on its affordable housing complex, which is still years away from completion. In the meantime, every Disney World cast member is just looking for a cheap place to live.
What should be done to help Disney World cast members?