McGhee pushes to stabilize rents in Miami-Dade County

MIAMI-DADE – Miami-Dade County Commissioner Kionne L. McGhee is proposing to immediately establish a countywide rent stabilization.

“Our residents shouldn’t have to choose between being able to feed their family or paying their rent. We must enact legislation to limit how much landlords can charge residential tenants to help curb this housing shortage and emergency affecting our residents,” said Commissioner McGhee.

While many low-income households in Florida are cost-burdened, the problem is especially true throughout Miami-Dade County. According to the Miami-Dade County Housing Data Appendix from June 2020, 65% of renter households are cost-burdened, with alarming percentages of households in lower income levels. Some municipalities within the County, such as the City of Miami, are ranked as some of the most severely housing cost-burdened in the country, paying 39% of their income for housing costs. The shortage of developable land that can be used to construct new, more affordable, housing and increase the housing supply also factors into the County’s critical housing shortage.

As a result of this housing crisis, tenants in Miami-Dade County are unable to find decent and safe housing at affordable rent levels, resulting in some renters paying rent increases by foregoing other necessities, such as food, transit, and healthcare.

If the proposed study determines there is a housing emergency in Miami-Dade County, then the Board of County Commissioners can decide to stabilize rents to remain affordable for tenants.