South Florida

It can be challenging to live in Miami. Take a look at some of the housing issues

Stories by Miami Herald journalists, with AI summarization

These articles focus on the challenges of living in Miami, primarily due to high living costs and housing issues. They discuss how the community and policymakers are responding to these challenges through various efforts and initiatives.

Many Miamians struggle with affordability, facing high rents and a cost-burdened life. Miami holds the record for the most rent-burdened people in the United States. At the same time, rising living costs make it difficult for residents to maintain their standard of living.

Policy shifts are underway to assist those in need. Ron Book, chair of Miami-Dade’s Homeless Trust, leads initiatives to combat homelessness.Rent in South Florida has fluctuated, recently showing a downward trend. However, the cost remains higher than the national average, posing challenges for low and middle-income residents.

Catch up with the stories below.

Stephania Germain, 24, who is on a Section 8 housing voucher, poses inside her apartment that she lives in with her daughter on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Miami. Germain was raised in foster care and is doing the best she can for herself and her baby. She says that even with the voucher, with recent increases it makes paying rent tough. “It just keeps going up and I don’t get a break to save, and I need new baby clothes, ya know they grow out of them so fast,” said Germain. By Alie Skowronski

NO. 1: MIAMIANS ARE THE MOST RENT-BURDENED PEOPLE IN AMERICA — AND THEY’RE STRESSED ABOUT IT

New Census Bureau data shows that Miamians spend a larger chunk of their incomes on housing than residents in all other major American cities. | Published October 8, 2024 | Read Full Story by Max Klaver

Midtown Miami complex in 2022.

NO. 2: HOW MUCH ARE YOU PAYING TO RENT AN APARTMENT IN MIAMI OR BROWARD? TAKE A LOOK AT COST

Redfin crunched the median rent in South Florida. | Published November 18, 2024 | Read Full Story by Miami Herald Archives

Ron Book, chairman of the Homeless Trust, attends a board meeting at the Stephen P. Clark Government Center on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, in downtown Miami, Florida. By MATIAS J. OCNER

NO. 3: GET WITH HIM OR GET OUT OF HIS WAY: RON BOOK’S ON A MISSION FROM GOD TO END HOMELESSNESS

County homelessness czar and mega-lobbyist Ron Book is in a race against the clock to end homelessness in Miami-Dade. Can he do it? | Published March 20, 2025 | Read Full Story by Max Klaver

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