Florida TaxWatch looks at Census 2020 and what Florida's business and community leaders need to know

An undercount is nothing new to Florida, but its current persistence inflicts costs more formidable than previous years. In 2000, an undercount of 200,670 people lost Florida a total $4 billion of federal funds by the end of the decade. Now, a larger undercount paired with larger federal spending allocations sets Florida to incur even greater losses throughout the decade. Over a billion dollars will be lost yearly. Throughout the decade, Floridians can expect to lose between $11 billion and $21 billion. [Source: Florida TaxWatch]

Florida Trend Exclusive
Miami's non-profit women's shelter Lotus House creates Children's Village as resource for survivors of domestic violence

Lotus House, a non-profit women’s shelter in Miami’s Overtown district that is also the nation’s largest, plans to create the Children’s Village featuring after-school care, tutoring, creative arts, computer learning and a large playground as well as therapeutic and social services. The Children’s Village will also serve as home to other community-based non-profits offering resources and programming to both sheltered and neighborhood children. [Source: Florida Trend]

Mortgage demand drops to a 22-year low as higher interest rates, inflation crush Central Florida homebuyers

The housing market used to be so scorching hot, there was no time for signs. But for now, those days are gone. "The market stopped about 60 to 90 days ago,” said Orlando realtor Barrett Spray. Spray has worked in real estate locally for 30 years. He said the market has changed drastically. “We were selling 15 to 20 houses a month, my team was. And now we are selling 10 to 12,” Spray said. “Demand has gone to basically nothing.” [Source: WESH]

Not a scam: Receive a $450 check in the mail from Gov. DeSantis? Don’t toss it, cash it

It’s real! The one-time payment is part of an initiative called “Hope Florida — A Pathway to Prosperity.” First Lady Casey DeSantis held a roundtable discussion in Tampa on Friday and said that foster families, adoptive families, and single mothers are eligible for the checks. “... you know, the governor signed his budget, and obviously we’re putting a lot into that,” Casey DeSantis said. “Making sure that we’re doing everything we can on behalf of Florida families... so $35 million within that budget will then go to support our foster and adoptive families -- our single moms across the state -- so they will get a one-time payment of $450. " [Source: WJXT]

Tourism is booming in Tampa Bay. Can the labor market keep up?

The tourism promotion agencies for both Hillsborough and Pinellas counties reported record-setting tourist tax collections this spring. The region’s airports are welcoming more passengers than ever before. But the boom is coming at a time when the hospitality industry nationwide, long plagued by low wages and high turnover rates, is reckoning with how to retain employees and attract new talent. Hotels across the country are struggling to find staff. Restaurants, too. And airlines are dealing with shortages of their own, prompting delays and cancellations. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› New council to help hospitals, universities deal with nursing shortage [Miami Today]
Facing a dramatic shortage of licensed practicing nurses forecast in South Florida by 2035, Keiser University and the National Association of Hispanic Nurses have created an advisory council to help hospitals and universities collaborate to fill the gap.

› Climate change survey captured nation’s gaping partisan divide through a Southwest Florida lens [WGCU]
A new survey of attitudes about global warming in Southwest Florida found that most residents believe climate change is real, is happening now, and the brunt of the impacts will be felt by future generations. At the same time, the poll found 75% of residents surveyed believed climate change was a thing in 2018. That conviction has declined to 68% now.

› Florida's unclaimed property law challenged [WFOR]
A St. Petersburg resident has filed a potential class-action lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a law that directs the state's handling of unclaimed property. Attorneys for Alieda Maron filed the lawsuit Friday in federal court in Tallahassee against state Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, who oversees the unclaimed-property program. The program involves people's property that is held by such things as banks and insurance companies.

› Florida-based Cannabis tech platform Alleaves finalizes $40 million funding [Alleaves]
Florida-based Alleaves, a cannabis enterprise resource planning (ERP) technology platform, said it is wrapping up a $40 million Series A funding round to accelerate a multistate commercial rollout.

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› First look: South Korean firm DSUS shares plans for NeoCity [Orlando Business Journal]
Plans finally are starting to come together for the long-awaited NeoCity development. Seven months after Osceola County conveyed 25 acres to South Korean semiconductor firm DSUS LLC, DSUS’s partners on July 18 shared plans for the first phase of NeoCity with county commissioners.

› South Florida cities utilizing high-tech screens to keep litter out of Biscayne Bay and local waterways [WPLG]
The City of Miami has finally installed the first batch of high-tech storm inlet screens to help reduce all the street litter that’s polluting Biscayne Bay. Miami is not the only South Florida city stepping up to try and fight the growing litter program with this new technology.

› St. Petersburg in the running to host America’s only Formula E race [The Race]
The St Petersburg IndyCar venue could be in the running for a future Formula E race after emerging as a prime option in the series’ search for a potential new United States round.

› Conservation Florida launches ‘Live Wildly’ PSA campaign [WCTV]
'Live Wildly' is part of a public awareness initiative for the Florida Wildlife Corridor, which stretches the length of the Sunshine State, from Pensacola to the Keys and helps protect 42 endangered species.