Top 10 stories from South Florida's housing crisis today

South Florida's housing crisis keeps shifting, with challenges for renters, homeowners and those on the edge.

This list of stories outlines the domino effect, from affordable condo loan programs running low on cash to tense disputes displacing the homeless as beds disappear from Miami shelters. Families like those in the Li’l Abner Mobile Home Park face sudden uprooting, their life savings lost to redevelopment—even as new "affordable" housing rises in their place.

While developers race to build luxury apartments downtown, warnings echo from forums in Hollywood about how cost-burdened residents are being left behind. Amid fights over flooded homes, pending refinancing decisions, and delayed affordable housing lots tied up by political spats, these stories capture the struggle, and the urgent search for hope and solutions.

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories below were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.

Soleste Hollywood Blvd at 2001 Hollywood Blvd is pictured hovering among existing buildings on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Hollywood, Florida, as the city shores up its housing needs with development in its downtown area in an attempt to address the city’s affordable housing needs. By Carl Juste

NO. 1: EVEN AS HOLLYWOOD BUILDS MORE APARTMENTS DOWNTOWN, AFFORDABILITY REMAINS A CONCERN

A look at what is coming and why it might not be enough to ease housing pressure | Published October 5, 2024 | Read Full Story by rhabersham@miamiherald.comRaisa Habersham

The stress of being unsheltered is overwhelming as an older woman, center, speaks with Homeless Trust Chairman Ron Book about her ordeal. Homeless Liaison Bo Hall, left, Alba Tarre, right, director of the Office of Housing and Community Services, helps with canvassing in Lincoln Road Mall on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. Homeless Trust and Miami Beach officials canvassed Lincoln Road Mall in Miami Beach to count the unsheltered population as part of a broader Miami-Dade count. By Carl Juste

NO. 2: IN CARING FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE, WE CAN DO BETTER THAN LAW BANNING SLEEPING IN PUBLIC | OPINION

Florida has enacted a new law that allows residents to sue local governments if they don’t enforce a ban on sleeping in public. | Published October 3, 2024 | Read Full Story by Bea L. Hines

File photo of houses in Miramar, where all homeowners take their homestead exemption tax break.

NO. 3: WITH MORTGAGE RATES COMING DOWN, WILL YOU REFINANCE YOUR HOME? HERE’S WHAT TO KNOW

Refinancing can be costly. But there are advantages, too. | Published October 15, 2024 | Read Full Story by LEW SICHELMAN

One of Camillus House’s buildings, the Somerville Veterans Residence in Overtown.

NO. 4: NO ROOM AT THE INN: DISPUTE OVER SHELTER BED COSTS DISPLACES HOMELESS IN MIAMI

An ongoing conflict between Camillus House and the Homeless Trust has affected 141 shelter bed spaces at one of Miami-Dade’s largest shelters. | Published October 19, 2024 | Read Full Story by Max Klaver

The riverfront area of downtown Fort Lauderdale. By CARL JUSTE

NO. 5: APARTMENT RENTS HAVE TAKEN A SURPRISING TURN IN SOUTH FLORIDA. WILL THE TREND CONTINUE?

What to know about the market in Miami and Broward. | Published November 15, 2024 | Read Full Story by Rebecca San Juan

Hamilton Dos Santos stands outside his mobile home angry and betrayed after purchasing his home in cash just a few months prior to receiving an eviction notice on Thursday, November 14, 2024, in Sweetwater, Florida. He holds the eviction notice in his hand which he found taped to his front door. The owner of Li’l Abner Mobile Home Park sold the land to a developer, forcing all residents to receive eviction notices due to the sale.

NO. 6: HE EMPTIED HIS 401(K) TO BUY A MOBILE HOME. IT’S BEING RAZED TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING

The closing of Li’l Abner Mobile Home Park continues a statewide trend of shuttering trailer parks to make way for development. | Published November 19, 2024 | Read Full Story by Max Klaver

Sipiwe Anderson, a condo owner, looks at paperwork related to her special assessment on June 10, 2023 for her condo in Miami Beach.

NO. 7: FACING A SPECIAL ASSESSMENT? MIAMI-DADE COUNTY OFFERS A $50K LOAN TO HELP CONDO OWNERS

Many condo owners found relief in this county loan program. Money is tight for the future. | Published December 31, 2024 | Read Full Story by Rebecca San Juan

Arturo Ortega, 38, property manager of the South River Warehouse, and Veronika Ortega, 36, project architect, are photographed on their privately owned land along the Miami River on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Miami, Fla. The Ortegas are in a dispute with City of Miami officials, who aim to seize their property through eminent domain to create a public park honoring Simon Bolivar. By MATIAS J. OCNER

NO. 8: CITY ABANDONS PLAN TO SEIZE MIAMI RIVER PROPERTY FROM PRIVATE OWNER TO CREATE PARK

A jury valued the Miami River site at $10.8 million. Commissioner Joe Carollo said that’s “on the high side.” | Published January 28, 2025 | Read Full Story by Tess Riski

Angela Albury, expresses her frustration of waiting for 5 years for her house to be constructed, as she attended to a press conference held by the Neighbors and Neighbors Association (NANA), alongside the Circle of Brotherhood to address what they describe as ongoing attempts by Miami-Dade County Commissioner Keon Hardemon to hinder their work in the community and putting an affordable housing projects at risk in Liberty City, Miami, Florida. on Tuesday March 25, 2025. By Pedro Portal

NO. 9: AFFORDABLE HOMES HANG IN THE BALANCE AS MIAMI-DADE COMMISSIONER, NONPROFITS SQUABBLE

Black residents in Miami can’t move into their homes. | Published March 26, 2025 | Read Full Story by Raisa Habersham Douglas Hanks

Victor Corone, 66, pushes his wife Maria Diaz, 64, in a wheelchair through more than a foot of flood water on 84th street in Miami Beach on Wednesday, June 12, 2024. Diaz had a doctor’s appointment, and they had to ditch the car in the parking lot on Collins Ave and walk more than 20 minutes to get home. By Photograph by Al Diaz

NO. 10: HOW TO GET MONEY TO PROTECT YOUR HOME FROM FLOODING IN MIAMI BEACH

“We want to do incremental adaptation, you know, things that we can build upon over time, and things that are going to stand the test of time” | Published April 4, 2025 | Read Full Story by Ashley Miznazi

This report was produced with the help of AI tools, which summarized previous stories reported and written by McClatchy journalists. It was edited by journalists in our News division.