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Wondering about affordable housing in Miami? We took a closer look at the issue

The shortage of affordable housing is an issue that plagues cities across the U.S., however Miami ranks among the worst. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, there are only 22 affordable housing units per 100 low-income renter households, when the national average is 35 units per 100 low-income-renter households.

When people can’t afford to live here, they can’t afford to work here. And that lack of affordable housing not only affects residents’ quality of life and health, but also limits the economic potential of our region. So we lose important sectors of our workforce, people that make our society vibrant and diverse.

City commissioners passed inclusionary zoning laws for a section of Downtown Miami that requires developers to set aside units in some new buildings for affordable housing. But this solution really only scratches the surface. The city is still short 30,000 affordable housing units.  Meanwhile, luxury condos keep going up even when many of them remain empty. What gives?

We decided to look more closely into this issue to explore the scope of the problem, identify some solutions and look into who is tackling the affordable housing crisis in our city.  Ultimately, the question most experts believe we need to ask ourselves is what kind of city do we want to be and how do we build toward becoming that city?.

Check out our coverage of affordable housing below, and let us know what issue you’d like us to spotlight next.