MIAMI (CBSMiami) – February 22 is just another Tuesday for most people, but for Raymond Henry, it’s one day closer to an unaffordable rent hike.
“I’m not into things that will get you in jail, but they force people to basically do whatever it takes to live or sleep under the bridge,” said Henry.
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South Florida’s sky-high rents are forcing people to make extremely difficult decisions.
Thousands of local families are facing massive rent increases while their annual earnings are staying the same.
Henry and his family live in Miami on Northeast 57th Street. Ray pays $1,800 a month to rent their three-bedroom home, but starting in April, that number will jump to $2,400.
For many, the astronomical increases are impossible to keep up with. From December 2020 to December 2021, rent prices in Miami rose 49%.
“That’s the bottom line, do you want to live in a house, or do you want to sleep on the ground?” asked Ray. “They tried to evict me for non-payment when they got $18,000,” he explains. Ray said his landlord received all the money owed to him through Federal Grants. Then, almost immediately after that, “They told me they’re increasing my rent from $1,800 to $2,400.”
That’s a 33% increase. CBS Miami’s Ashley Dyer asked Ray how much of his earnings are spent towards rent.
“All of it. Every penny,” he said.
Ray is a jack of all trades. He’s a handyman, a mechanic, and a musician, but most importantly, he’s a father of three.
“My kids need stability. I don’t want them to grow up Gypsie’s,” said Ray.
He says the price increase isn’t reasonable. Especially, since the home needs dozens of repairs starting with the entrance to the property.
“I have to physically lift up the gate and pull it to close it.”
Ray’s made several maintenance requests about the deplorable conditions inside of his home.
“You wanna see termites? Termites. Termites are eating these cabinets everywhere,” said Ray.
But the most heartbreaking issue Ray said, involves one of his sons.
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“I have a handicapped son in a wheelchair but he can’t get in here correctly when his legs are here. If he’s sitting in his chair, he can’t get into the bathroom. I’ve been here for a year and they haven’t fixed one thing in this house,” added Ray.
For Ray and his family, every day is a struggle.
“It’s a day-to-day basis right now Minute to minute,” said Ray. He stays positive for his kids, even though he knows their life could soon change drastically.
“Their friends are here. They’ve been in school. I’m biting bullets to pay for it. That’s how it is,” he added.
Ray asked us not to reach out to his landlord for the time being. He’s trying to work with them to secure a new lease so his family can afford to stay at their current home.
To combat this problem, Mayor Daniella Levine Cava recently created a Tenant Advocacy Office that will focus on connecting tenants to resources they need to remain housed, propose policy and share best practices to expand affordable housing options.
The plan is to open that office shortly.
If you need rental assistance, here are some helpful links:
Our Florida: Helping Floridians Get Back on Their Feet.
Homelessness – Florida Department of Children and Families
Broward County: Emergency rental assistance program
Local tenant rights, laws, and protections
