FIU's findings on housing

Other findings from FIU's study of affordable housing in Miami-Dade County:

• Apartment shortage. Since 2000, the total number of renter-occupied housing units increased by only 1.7 percent as builders focused mainly on condos and single-family homes.

• Vacancy. From 2000 to 2006, the number of vacant housing units grew by 64 percent, to more than 124,000 units, or 13 percent of all units. This includes unsold units for sale and units owned by part-year residents.

• Low-wage jobs. Miami-Dade County's 2007 median annual wage for all occupations was $26,873.

• Working-class woes. Among households earning less than $35,000 per year, 78 percent are cost-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing.