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| Jan (5) | Feb | Mar (2) | Apr (2) | May (3) | Jun (7) | Jul (7) | Aug (5) | Sep (6) | Oct (7) | Nov (1) | Dec (5) |
January
Who will benefit from Miami's new Rails-to-Trails park?
Affordable housing, along with sea level rise, has been a top challenge in Miami for more than a decade, says Ned Murray, associate director of Florida International University’s Metropolitan Center.
Why are there still so many luxury buildings in Miami as demand slows down?
Ned Murray, the associate director of FIU’s Metropolitan Center, has kept tabs on our local housing market for decades. He points to continued interest from overseas buyers and investors as one reason the Miami market is staying hot.
A New Study On Gender Pay Gap In Miami, Female Chef Panel & Meet PALO! On Live From The 305
Dr. Maria Ilcheva, the lead researcher of the report, and Miami-Dade County Commissioner for District 8 Daniella Levine Cava explained on Sundial which fields the gap remains large and where progress can still be made.
Miami Dade Women were Closing the Earnings Gap with Men. But has that progress stalled?
Progress in closing the yawning chasm between the earnings of men and women appears to have stalled in Miami-Dade in the past couple of years, even as economic conditions for women improved marginally.
Miami-Dade Women Earn 15 Percent Less Than Men, Report
A new report from Florida International University says the wage gap has actually increased in Miami-Dade County in recent years. According to the most recent data from 2016, women who work full time make 15 percent less than their male counterparts. The prior report showed a difference was only 13 percent.
March
Progress on Gender Equality Remains Stagnant
Progress on gender equality remains stagnant, according to a new report on the status of women in Miami-Dade County. “Gender differences persist in most areas of social and economic life,” the authors said, adding that the new data and analysis underscores that “progress on gender equality needs to be accelerated, and concerted efforts to be made to address the persistent gaps.”
2019 Report on the Status of Women in Miami Dade County
The 2019 report on the Status of Women in Miami-Dade County is the third report that tracks disparities between men and women, and progress towards closing the gender gap. Similar to previous reports, the 2019 volume shows that gender differences persist in most areas of social and economic life. This report’s new data and analysis underlines that progress on gender equality needs to be accelerated, and concerted efforts to be made to address the persistent gaps.
April
South Florida’s population saw huge growth this decade. That could soon reverse
Dr. Maria Ilcheva, FIU Metropolitan Center, says the reason so many people are moving out of town is simple: South Florida is becoming too expensive for them. “The biggest thing for us is housing and income levels, and those are related,” she said. “Housing is becoming more expensive, while earnings are stagnant. Our region from that perspective is becoming less attractive, and those two elements are becoming a major reason for why people are moving out."
Miami-Dade County Commission releases status of women report
The Miami Dade Board of County Commissioners, the Commission Auditor and Florida International University’s Metropolitan Center on Mar. 19 announced the release of the third annual report on the status of women in Miami-Dade County.
May
Metro Center Graduate Student Receives "Making a Difference" Award
FIU Metropolitan Center's William T. Jackson received the "Making a Difference" award for his work as the founder and visionary of The Justice Project.
City of Miami Wants to Develop Thousands of Affordable Housing Units by 2024
On the South Florida Roundup, host Tom Hudson and WLRN reporter Nadege Green spoke with Alfredo Duran, deputy director for the city of Miami's Department of Housing and Community Development; Annie Lord, executive director of Miami Homes for All; and Ned Murray, associate director of FIU's Metropolitan Center.
This is the top city for small business in the US: Study
More than 82,000 small businesses employ 53% of the Miami-Dade County’s workforce, revealed a study commissioned by the Florida Small Business Development Center. It also has a high percentage of microbusinesses, according to the FIU Metropolitan Center.
June
Study: Baby Boomers are coming to South Florida, but millennials are not
"If you notice the areas with a lot of baby boomers, they're high priced areas" said Maria Ilcheva, assistant director of planning and operations for Florida International University's Metropolitan Center. "So, I would say the baby boomers we see staying and growing in size typically are the baby boomers who are in the very high income categories. These aren't necessarily the middle class baby boomers, because frankly I don't think they could afford it."
South Florida workers are among the poorest-paid. The ‘Miami Discount’ may be to blame.
For Murray, of the FIU Metropolitan Center, the business-friendly approach is beginning to show diminishing returns. “In Miami we still have this low-wage mentality,” he said. On the one hand, the Miami area has taken advantage of a steady inflow of cheap labor from overseas that continues to this day, he said.
Priced out of paradise: Why locals can no longer afford to live in Miami
Fully 85 percent of Miami-Dade workers are in low-wage jobs, said Ned Murray, associate director at FIU’s Metropolitan Center. Overall wages in the tri-county area have risen 13 percent since 2011, slightly above the national increase of 12 percent. Few places across Miami-Dade, with the exception of Doral, have succeeded in creating a “critical mass” of advanced industry jobs, Murray said.
FIU Experts are Available for the 2019 Hurricane Season
The 2019 Atlantic Hurricane season began on Saturday and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts an estimated nine to 15 named storms. Maria Ilcheva is investigating how prepared Floridians are to face hurricanes and how they use information toward their preparations. Ilcheva is examining the measures residents, businesses and public officials are taking to mitigate the effect of hurricanes and what barriers exist to implement optimal preparedness.
New Affordable Housing Report Shows Scope Of Broward County's Crisis
An estimated 77,000 renters in the county spend more than half their income on housing alone, according to a report issued by Florida International University's Metropolitan Center at the end of April - with data from 2018 - showing how much lower-cost housing Broward needs now, and for the future.
New Affordable Housing Report Shows Scope of Broward County's Crisis
he number of people spending more money than they should on housing in Broward County, keeps going up. An estimated 77,000 renters in the county spend more than half their income on housing alone, according to a report issued by Florida International University's Metropolitan Center at the end of April - with data from 2018 - showing how much lower-cost housing Broward needs now, and for the future.
July
Manufacturing jobs on the rise in Miami-Dade for the first time in decades
After decades of decline, manufacturing employment in Miami-Dade County is showing signs of a comeback, increasing 14.5 percent from 35,738 workers in 2012 to more than 40,800 in 2017, according to a new report from FIU. Sustaining the trend will be a challenge, however, as nearly one-third of local manufacturers said they have considered relocating out of the county.
National Science Foundation awards FIU $1 million to train policy professionals in cyberinfrastructu
“This is a great collaboration that melds science, technology and public policy,” said Howard Frank, director of the Jorge M. Pérez Metropolitan Center, which will house the training program. “It combines the technological side of cybersecurity with the human and organizational side of the enterprise, through public policy and administration.”
Manufacturing jobs make a comeback in Miami-Dade, but for how long?
"Creating these types of high-paying jobs has an impact on the individual and on the community," said FIU Metropolitan Center's Maria Ilcheva. "On the other hand, the multiplier effect shows us that people aren't just getting higher wages but it also adds more value to all sectors of the economy. More money is generated that circulates throughout the economy."
‘One of the least affordable places to live.’ Broward grapples with housing crisis
“[Broward leaders] are well aware of the state of their economy, and are concerned that if they don’t provide for their workers, it’s going to negatively impact them,” Murray said in an interview.
Miami is in dire need of housing that’s affordable. These new solutions could help
And the problem is likely to get worse. Far worse, according to Ned Murray, associate director of Florida International University’s Metropolitan Center. “Employment projection for 2018-2026 from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity shows an increase in 144,493 jobs, most of them in low-wage employment,” Murray said. “This would result in an additional demand of an estimated 40,000 low-income renters over the next eight years.”
August
Dania Beach Moving Forward With $634M City Center Redevelopment
At last night's city commission meeting, Kevin Greiner, a development planner with the FIU Metropolitan Center who sat on the evaluation committee, called it "a potentially transformative project for Dania Beach" and said that "the financial deal proposed to the city is excellent for the city ... the economics are extremely exceptional from the city's perspective."
Metropolitan Center to partner with the Town of Miami Lakes on Needs Assessment
Jorge M. Perez Metropolitan Center is conducting a needs assessment of individuals with special needs for the Town of Miami Lakes. This research will specifically seek to understand service gaps for residents with physical and neurological disabilities and provide recommendations for services for this population.
Are Miami and South Florida losing their best and brightest college grads to brain drain?
Kevin Greiner, Research Fellow at the Florida International University Metropolitan Center, talks about his data analysis that shows jobs and wages lost during the Great Recession have not returned in many parts of the state.
Metro Center PhD Student Receives Scholarship for Public Administration
Third year PhD student, Kaila Witkowski, was recently honored with the Scholarship for Public Administration, Public Policy and Public Affairs to attend the the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR). Throughout the summer, Kaila attended this internationally recognized, rigorous training program in statistical techniques, research methodologies and data analysis.
Manufacturing jobs on rise for the first time in decades
“Miami has a small but important cluster of advanced manufacturers with significant value to the economy,” said Maria Ilcheva, assistant director of planning and operations at the Pérez Met Center and lead author of the report. “They help diversify Miami’s economic landscape and their continued growth is essential for boosting the county’s and region’s economic resilience.”
September
Little Haiti is up for grabs. Will gentrification trample its people and culture?
Most home values in Little Haiti range from $73,000 to $180,000, a 2015 study by FIU”s Jorge M. Perez Metropolitan Center found. In neighboring, historically African-American Liberty City and Model City, to the west, investors are buying similar homes and renovating them to resell at prices ranging from $200,000 to over $300,000. Buyers come from the area or overwhelmingly Hispanic Hialeah farther west, where prices have risen even more.
Miami’s population is changing. And that’s making real estate change, too
The predictions for affordable housing may mean a brighter tomorrow but, for now, Floridians are looking elsewhere as rent and cost of living inches higher. Over half of Miami’s population, 70%, are renters, according to research by Florida International University’s Jorge M. Pérez Metropolitan Center. And a good chunk of the population spends over 30% of their paycheck each month on housing, which is more than what’s recommended for housing costs.
FIU to help infuse artificial intelligence into the building design, construction industries with $1
The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Convergence Accelerator program has awarded a $1 million grant to a team of FIU researchers to evaluate the automation needs of the architecture, engineering and construction industries and develop a training program in partnership with several local firms and global industry experts. The FIU project is led by Professor Shahin Vassigh from the College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts (CARTA) and involves faculty from the Metropolitan Center.
South Florida’s population is growing. It’s no thanks to U.S. residents
Maria Ilcheva, professor at Florida International University’s Pérez Metropolitan Center, said it appears major U.S. cities are increasingly priced for a globally mobile population, creating a situation where only the very top slices of income groups — and the very bottom that service them — can live. “The middle is being displaced,” she said.
Affordable housing is a concern. The city and FIU want to hear what you have to say.
Affordable housing is the prime focus for the two open houses organized for later this month by the City of Miami and Florida International University. City officials and FIU, which is conducting the research through its Jorge M. Perez Metropolitan Center, invite residents to discuss possible solutions and strategies for the affordable housing shortage, according to a release. The two talks will host the same discussion.
Manufacturing jobs are coming back to Miami-Dade. You just may not recognize them
In a new report, the Florida International University Jorge M. Pérez Metropolitan Center finds that between 2012 and 2017, Miami-Dade added about 5,000 new manufacturing jobs, an increase of 14 percent. “The sector continues to grow,” said Maria Ilcheva, a Metropolitan Center professor and author of the report. “This is a good confirmation of what’s occurring after decades of decline.”
October
At long last, affordable housing project breaks ground in South Miami
“The location of this project, built close to the downtown area, means residents are in close proximity to employment opportunities,” said Ned Murray, an associate director at the Jorge M. Pérez Metropolitan Center
Miami Lakes working with FIU to develop special needs programs for its residents
“My hope is that our work will truly inform the town on the ways we can be more inclusive so that every resident feels like they belong and are considered,” Roldan said.
Community groups rally resources to educate all Miamians on census participation
The Miami Foundation partnered with the FIU Jorge M. Perez Metropolitan Center to conduct community surveys and focus groups to learn more about locals familiarity with and personal perspectives on the census.
When you participate in the census, you help the entire community. We’re here to help | Opinion
Our work is about more than providing grants. It’s also about building the capacity of the organizations engaging in census work and increasing the community’s understanding about the importance of census participation. To that end, we engaged the FIU Jorge M. Pérez Metropolitan Center to conduct a survey and focus groups within Miami-Dade’s hard-to-count communities so we could better-understand attitudes and behaviors that relate to census participation.
South Florida 100: Governor’s plan to raise teacher salaries viewed as good first step; Trump impeac
Next week, I look forward to having an in-depth conversation with my colleagues about the affordable housing crisis in Broward county. We will discuss the Broward County Housing Linkage Fee and Residential Linkage Fee Nexus Studies prepared by the FIU Metropolitan Center in addition to several affordable housing policy options, while also considering the impacts of recent State legislation.
Regional Propserity Roundtables: Miami, Broward, West Palm Beach, Naples, Tampa, Orlando
Community Developers and Financial Capability practitioners of all types are invited to join these interactive learning and action-planning session where Dr. Ned Murray and his team share the results of their research insights around the future of Community Development, and engage participants in thoughtful conversation and potential action-planning to adopt elements of the 21st-century approach to enhancing the vitality of our Florida communities.
Miami’s housing affordability crisis poses a dire threat to the city’s future, experts say
Miami-Dade’s housing affordability crisis is so dire, it now poses as much of a threat to the region as sea level rise, according to a recent market update prepared by Florida International University’s Jorge M. Pérez Metropolitan Center.
November
Nonprofit Developer Seeks Affordable Housing Reform In Fort Lauderdale
The Metropolitan Center at Florida International University recently released an affordable housing needs assessment for Broward County that found Fort Lauderdale has more than 30,000 cost-burdened households, with 33% being owner-occupied and 59% being renter-occupied. The city also has the second highest foreclosure rate in Broward with 1 in every 1,281 homes in distress, according to the assessment.
December
Median Miami-Dade incomes climbed 4.6% in 2018. In Broward, they barely budged.
Ned Murray, director of the Jorge M. Pérez Metropolitan Center at Florida International University, said there is evidence of demographic shifts due to both in- and out-migration patterns that are contributing to the changes. Miami-Dade’s population growth appears to be slowing — but those who are moving in are proving wealthier.
South Florida spent $12.3 billion on rent in 2019 — but not because rents are rising
In Broward, the median sales price of single-family homes was up 2 percent to $362,000. Those prices have contributed to a swelling population of renters. According to a recent market study by Florida International University’s Metropolitan Center, Miami-Dade lost 56,584 owner households and gained 95,880 renter households from 2007 to 2017.
Unemployment in South Florida just hit a record low — but there’s more to the story
“So you can be employed, or describe yourself as fully employed — but unfortunately for many households, we’re talking holding two or even three jobs,” FIU’s Murray said. “So finding a job is not the problem, it’s the income, wages and ability to afford housing and the general cost of living. There, we still have a sizable gap.”
Will Allapattah Fall Victim to the Gentrification That Claimed Wynwood?
"Everybody wants to build in Miami, so it doesn't matter where — they're just looking for land," says Murray, associate director of Florida International University's Jorge M. Pérez Metropolitan Center. "These are the only areas left within the city limits, and they're relatively affordable from a developer's standpoint. So these are the areas they've been zeroing in on for the last year or so."
Developer Says New Single-Family Affordable Homes in Sistrunk are the First of Many
More than half of renters that are cost-burdened in Broward County spend more than 50 percent of their monthly income on rent alone, according to the Broward County Affordable Housing Needs Assessment. The report was compiled for the county this past summer by the Florida International University Metropolitan Center, using data from 2018.
