The Coalition to End Homelessness and the League of Women Voters of Broward County are hosting a public workshop on Sept. 6 to address what they say is South Florida’s most pressing issue: the homelessness and affordable housing crisis.
"The event is a call to action," say the organizers. "It will present findings, highlight solutions that have worked in other regions, and begin building a roadmap for South Florida."
The workshop runs from noon to 3 p.m. at the West Broward Regional Library, 8601 W Broward Blvd., Plantation, FL 33324.
“When middle-income families cannot afford housing, not only does homelessness escalate, employers cannot recruit staff, schools cannot keep teachers, hospitals cannot retain nurses," said Coalition to End Homelessness CEO Laura Hansen.
"The crisis is so much worse than we imagined," said Hansen.
Among the coalition's findings on housing data:
- Renting the average apartment now requires a household income of $117,000 in Broward; $126,000 in Palm Beach; and $136,000 in Miami-Dade.
- Purchasing a median-priced home in South Florida requires an annual income of between $235,000 and $260,000.
Realtor.com recently ranked the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach market the nation’s least affordable rental market, with renters paying almost 38% of their income on housing.
According to the latest data from Realtor.com, the median asking rent for an apartment in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach market was $2,332. That was up 36% in the last six years. Only the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida market had a higher increase.
The data was based on the advertised rent on Realtor.com of studio, 1-bedroom, or 2-bedroom apartments.
“These numbers are staggering,” said Agustina Sklar, an architect and chair of the League’s Housing Committee. She is among the panelists at the scheduled workshop.
“Teachers, nurses, police officers — entire professions essential to our communities — can no longer afford to live here," she said.
“Unless we act, the entire region will become a ghost town for the wealthy,” Sklar said. “We are driving out our current residents, and even the children of those who can afford to live here.”
The public is invited to attend the workshop. Register online at https://homelessfl.org/
