
By Erin Jester
A University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions researcher will soon embark on an investigation into the barriers faced by renters trying to find housing with their furry friends.
Jennifer Applebaum, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental and Global Health, was awarded a $75,000 grant from the Community Foundation of North Central Florida for a year-long exploration of pet-inclusive housing in Alachua County, in partnership with the Alachua County Animal Welfare Advisory Committee and Alachua County Animal Resources.
The goal of the study is to create evidence-based recommendations for eliminating some of the reasons people may need to give up their pets to be able to secure housing, and to take those recommendations to local and state lawmakers.
To Applebaum’s knowledge, this is the first study that will take an all-encompassing inventory of pet-inclusive housing issues in a specific area.
The team will hold focus groups with landlords and property managers, lawmakers, animal welfare workers, renters with pets and people who have had to relinquish pets to shelters because of housing issues. Understanding landlords, property managers’ and insurance companies’ concerns about abolishing breed and weight restrictions will be a crucial part of the puzzle, Applebaum said.
“We need their buy-in, too,” she said.

The study will begin in January with an analysis of federal, state and local laws that may affect pet-inclusive housing. In the second phase, Applebaum and her team will review existing programs in other areas that are trying to expand access to pet-inclusive housing and see if those programs could be implemented in Alachua County.
“I think it’s going to be a game changer and inform our work all over the country,” said study team member Lauren Loney, an attorney who focuses on public policy research and advocacy regarding pets and housing.
About 60 percent of all rental housing in the U.S. claims to be pet-friendly, but less than 10% do not have restrictions on breed or weight. In Florida, only 11.5% percent of rental properties are deemed inclusive by the research and advocacy organization My Pit Bull is Family.
Efforts to undo breed-specific bans in affordable housing are only the first step. While large and so-called aggressive breeds are most affected by the bans, small dogs are relinquished by renters by about the same rate as big dogs, and cats make up about a third of all pets relinquished due to housing difficulty.
One major reason for those relinquishments is finances. Loney cited a nationwide uptick in landlords charging often exorbitant non-refundable pet deposits and pet rent, which leaves many renters without the financial means to keep their companion animals.
For vulnerable, marginalized and low-income households especially, Applebaum said, “The human-animal bond is something that’s really important to them.”
Assisting Applebaum with the research will be Social and Behavioral Sciences Ph.D. student Selena Gutierrez, and Master of Public Health students Kaylinn Escobar and Jade Jackson.
Applebaum said she’s excited to do some community-based work during this study. Her first job after moving to Gainesville was at the Humane Society.
In fact, it was a pit bull mix named Pip who was the catalyst for Applebaum’s career as a researcher of the bonds between pets and people. After adopting him in 2011, she started volunteering with dog rescues in her free time. Eventually, she realized she wanted to work with animals full time, leading her to pursue a master’s degree in veterinary medical sciences and a Ph.D. in sociology, both at UF.
For Applebaum and countless others, pets aren’t just animals – they’re beloved family members.
“Having to make a choice between keeping your pet and housing your family is completely unjust. It’s not a choice anyone should have to make,” she said.