ORLANDO, Fla. — A Central Florida housing expert said the lack of skilled laborers in the area is one of the many reasons why there’s an affordable housing problem.

Here’s what that means:

1. A survey by the Association of General Contractors of America (AGC) shows 80 percent of construction firms are struggling to find skilled laborers — 2,000 construction firms were surveyed.

2. The firms are turning to raising salaries and adding bonuses and incentives to find more skilled workers.

3. Lee Steinhauer, legal counsel for Apartment Association of Greater Orlando and a member of Orange County Housing for All , said the lack of skills tradesmen, cost of construction, and the cost of land is impacting the lack of affordable housing.

4. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports there are about 300,000 vacancies in construction industry as of this June.

5. Vacancies are expected to increase to about 747,000 by 2026.​