As the GOP presidential primary race hurtles to Florida, the candidates will be confronted with a question central to the health of the state’s still weak economy: What are their plans for solving the housing mess?

Florida’s economy rests heavily on housing, which has struggled in the years since the bubble burst. New construction has slowed to a crawl and home prices have tumbled, sapping consumer confidence, choking tax revenue and leaving the state with one of the nation’s highest unemployment rates.