A coalition of more than 40 interfaith congregations in Miami-Dade will meet Monday night to demand city and county elected officials address the dire lack of affordable housing.
More than 1,000 people are expected to attend the annual PACT 2025 Nehemiah Action Assembly at Sweet Home Missionary Baptist Church, 10701 SW 184th St, Cutler Bay, FL 33157.
Doors open at 6 p.m. The event begins at 7 p.m. PACT stands for “People Acting for Community Together.”
Among the government officials expected to attend, according to PACT 2025 organizers: Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Miami-Dade Commissioner Kionne McGhee.
TACKLING AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS
WHAT: The annual PACT 2025 Nehemiah Action Assembly. The assembly will call city and county leaders in Miami-Dade to further address the lack of affordable housing.
WHEN: Monday, April 7. Gates open at 6 p.m. The program starts at 7 p.m.
WHERE: Sweet Home Missionary Baptist Church, 10701 SW 184th St, Cutler Bay, FL 33157.
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“Due to stagnant wages and gentrification, Miami-Dade County residents cannot afford the high cost of rent,” PACT organizers said in a statement ahead of Monday night's meeting.
PACT organizers cite a 2022 study by the FIU Metropolitan Center that found 62% of Miami-Dade renters are cost burdened — meaning they spend more than half their income on rent — and that “eviction filing rates have now exceeded pre-pandemic numbers.”
More recently, PACT organizers point to a study published in January by the national real estate firm Redfin that listed Miami as the second most unaffordable Metro area for renters, ahead of New York, Los Angeles and Boston. Only Providence, Rhode Island, ranked higher than Miami.
Redfin reported that the median rent in Miami was $2,373 in December, requiring an income of nearly $95,000 to afford it. The median income of renters in Miami was barely above $57,000.
In their statement, PACT leaders said they want city and county officials in Miami-Dade to address two key issues related to affordable housing.
The first is the Miami-Dade Eviction Diversion Program. They want permanent funding. Launched in March 2023 as a pilot program, it gives renters legal representation to avoid getting kicked out of their homes or apartments.
The second priority for PACT leaders: Require “community input meetings” on housing developments above $15 million to as part of “Community Benefit Agreements” between developers and community representatives.
"PACT will platform local officials and hold them accountable for addressing this urgent issue, which impacts the daily lives of every Miami-Dade County resident," the coalition pledged.
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