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| Jan (1) | Feb (3) | Mar (3) | Apr (6) | May (5) | Jun (5) | Jul (1) | Aug (7) | Sep (2) | Oct (7) | Nov | Dec (1) |
January
Miami’s slate of professional services workers, including in hot tech sector, soars to record number
In an email, Ned Murray, associate director of the Jorge M. Pérez Metropolitan Center at Florida International University, said that Broward and Palm Beach counties are seeing nowhere near the increases Miami-Dade has seen in its professional ranks.
February
Miami-Dade’s jobless rate hits record low. Where have all the workers gone?
“(A low unemployment rate) is very deceiving because of the record number of people leaving their jobs,” said Ned Murray, an expert on economic and housing market issues and associate director of the Jorge M. Pérez Metropolitan Center at Florida International University.
The South Florida housing market has 'too few roofs to rent or own'
"It's a question of after we pay the mortgage, what do we have left for other necessities like food and clothing and medicine?" said Ned Murray, associate director of FIU's Metropolitan Center, where he concentrates on economic development and housing.
South Florida’s rent crisis: Some no longer can afford their longtime homes as rents rise
“Over the past 18 months, we’ve had these excessive rents and owner costs that have gone up 30% year over year,” said Edward Murray, associate director of the Metropolitan Center at Florida International University. “We would assume that based on precedent, we are going to see that accelerate again.”
March
Renting in Miami? You'll likely pay more than you would in California
Edward "Ned" Murray, associate director of the Jose M. Pérez Metropolitan Center at Florida International University, said there's clear evidence that Miami-Dade is losing its low-wage workforce due to rising housing costs, and that it will likely get worse.
Housing prices in South Florida are skyrocketing, but is it better to buy or rent?
“I wish I had good news. I wish I could say things are improving in South Florida, but I can’t,” said Ned Murray, associate director of the Metropolitan Center at Florida International University. Murray noted that hidden costs such as repairs and upgrades need to be considered when buying a home in today’s “as is” market where sellers wield all the power.
Study: State of Broward Blacks, Hispanics
The study that spotlighted the disparity was conducted by the Urban League of Broward County, Florida International University’s Jorge M. Perez Metropolitan Center and Hispanic United of Florida.
April
Home prices still on the rise in Palm Beach County. Will higher interest rates slow them down?
Still, Ned Murray, associate director of the Perez Metropolitan Center at Florida International University, said he is concerned about a lack of mobility because of the high prices. He also worries people will start taking out unaffordable second mortgages or refinancing loans based on inflated home values.
Displacements, evictions in Hialeah: Human tragedy of Miami-Dade’s housing crisis persists
The report by Florida International University’s Jorge M. Pérez Metropolitan Center concluded there’s a lack of at least 119,751 affordable rental units for households with extremely low, very low and low incomes countywide, and about 135,120 houses that moderate, working and middle-income households could buy.
Must landlords give 60 days’ notice of rent hikes? This new rule is catching on in South Florida
Ned Murray, associate director with the Jorge M. Perez Metropolitan Center at Florida International University, called it a “dire situation for the majority of renters in Broward County right now.”
Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Attempt to Tackle Affordable Housing Crisis
The affordability predicament dates back as far as the years preceding the 2008 financial crisis, which crushed Florida’s housing bubble. The issue continued to fester and by 2019, more than half of Miami households were spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing, according to Jorge M. Pérez Metropolitan Center at the Florida International University.
Miami-Dade mayor declares a state of emergency over housing affordability
“It appears that what the mayor is doing is addressing the issue at hand on more of an emergency basis,” said Ned Murray, associate director of the Jorge M. Pérez Metropolitan Center for economic and housing research at Florida International University.
The South Florida economy experiences 'a different kind of surge' while sentiment wanes
"Maybe the psyche is worse than the actual," said Howard Frank, Director of FIU Pérez Metropolitan Center. Despite the sharp rebound of economic activity and employment, Florida consumers are less optimistic this spring compared to a year ago.
May
Desplazamientos y desalojos en Hialeah: La crisis de la vivienda tiene un origen difícil de resolver
“Los alquileres en Miami-Dade aumentaron un 34 % interanual (2020-2021) y continúan encareciéndose en 2022, mientras los salarios han incrementado alrededor de un 3% durante este tiempo”, indicó Edward Murray, director asociado de Investigación del Centro.
Palm Bay woman and son displaced due to lack of affordable housing on Space Coast
According to Florida International University's Dr. Edward Murray, an expert on housing market issues, adding to these pressures is the trend of investment companies sometimes buying up entire neighborhoods, driving up housing prices. Home purchases by big investors has skyrocketed in Florida, Murray said.
Cocoa moves forward with proposal to require notice on rent increases
Giving a 60-day notice may give renters more time to plan for other housing accommodations. But, according Florida International University's Dr. Edward Murray, an expert on housing market issues, "It's a band-aid solution."
Fast-casual restaurant to serve healthy eats at Mary Brickell Village
A job that pays $18 an hour can afford to pay $947 a month without being cost-burdened, said Edward "Ned" Murray, associate director of Florida International University's Jorge M. Perez Metropolitan Center. A household that spends more than 30% of its income on housing is cost-burdened, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Skyrocketing rents; stutter awareness; Richard Blanco, Miami-Dade’s first poet laureate
Dr. Ned Murray is the associate director of the Jorge M. Pérez Metropolitan Center at Florida International University. He said different factors have contributed to this housing crisis, including low inventory and the pandemic. “What we’ve seen over the last two years is not only unprecedented, but it really is an exaggeration of anything that you could see in the housing market,” Murray said.
June
As South Florida's rental market cools down, is a correction on the way?
Edward “Ned” Murray, associate director of Florida International University’s Jorge M. Pérez Metropolitan Center, is bleaker in his assessment. He said there’s still a possibility rents could crash sometime in the future as low- and moderate-wage earners move away, exasperating employee shortages and making South Florida a less desirable place to live.
Miami-Dade plan for more housing next to public transit seeing backlash. Here’s why
Ned Murray, associate director of the Jorge M. Pérez Metropolitan Center at Florida International University, said “everyone needs to be at the table” to solve Miami-Dade’s affordable housing crisis. About half of all households in the county pay more than 30% of their income for housing and experts say the county needs to add tens of thousands of affordable units to address the problem.
Only 8% of households can afford a single-family home in Broward County
The study suggests that these workers, who service the community, will struggle to afford housing. South Florida is entering unchartered territory when it comes to the housing market, said Murray. Not only are housing prices out of reach for many people, but it’s also becoming nearly impossible for renters to afford to be able to live here.
Broward County home to severe housing affordability woes.
Only a meager 8% of Broward residents can reasonably expect to attain homeownership, according to a recent study of the county’s housing needs by Ned Murray, Florida International University’s associate director of the Jorge M. Pérez Metropolitan Center.
In Florida, tenants facing eviction must first ‘pay to play’ for a day in court
Ned Murray, associate director of the Jorge M. Pérez Metropolitan Center at Florida International University, said the eviction pace would be higher if not for lingering rental aid from federal COVID relief dollars.
July
Jamaica native leads push to lure companies to Miami Beach as city’s top corporate booster
Williams officially started on her public service career at Florida International University, eventually earning a master’s degree in public administration. There she met Ned Murray, a housing expert and associate director of the university’s Jorge M. Pérez Metropolitan Center.
August
Miami-Dade mayor wants to spend $85 million to help struggling homeowners, boost affordable housing
Ned Murray, associate director of Florida International University’s Jorge M. Pérez Metropolitan Center, said the county has 251,732 cost-burdened renters. More rental assistance makes sense, he said, since “rents will certainly not go down so rental assistance will have to be maintained for years to come.”
The housing crisis pushes this city to declare an emergency. Will it pave the way for rent control?
According to the 2021 Palm Beach County Affordable Housing Needs Assessment from researchers over at Florida International University, Lake Worth Beach has one of the highest rates of cost-burdened renters in Palm Beach County, with 65% of renter households paying over 30% of their income toward rent.
Dem Candidates for Governor Bring Housing Costs to the Forefront in Florida Primary
“Rents are already at such a level that whoever owns these rental properties is doing quite well,” said Ned Murray, the associate director of the Jorge M. Perez Metropolitan Center at Florida International University (FIU), which studies affordable housing and the economy.
Exclusive: House hunting in South Florida? Here’s the salary you need to afford a home
“It’s not a housing issue. It is primarily an economic issue, which comes down to salary and wages. We have stubbornly low wages here,” said Ned Murray, housing expert and associate director of Florida International University’s Jorge M. Pérez Metropolitan Center. “We’ve seen a labor shortage. That labor shortage is only going to get worse.”
Miami-Dade told cities to help build housing that local workers can afford. Few did
“Each municipality has a responsibility to provide for its own citizens and its own economy,” said Ned Murray, associate director of Florida International University’s Jorge M. Perez Metropolitan Center. “We just don’t see that happening to the levels that are necessary.”
Gas Prices Are Down — But FIU Researcher Warns of Hurricane Season Spike
"We've been dealing with gas prices above $4 since March. After six months of that, people start to make more conscious decisions about their commutes and how much they drive, and gas stations have to lower prices to entice people back to the pump," explains Britney Broxton, a research assistant at FIU's Jorge M. Perez Metropolitan Center.
Study: Rents in Wellington, Royal Palm often cost households half their paychecks or more
In 2018, about 57.4% of Royal Palm Beach and 56.7% of Wellington renters were "overwhelmed" with housing costs, meaning they spent at least half and even as much as two-thirds of their income on housing, according to a 2021 study by FIU's Metropolitan Center, which provides policy solutions to public, private and nonprofit organizations in South Florida.
September
Florida’s minimum wage workers get a raise this week. Here’s how much
Ned Murray, associate director of the Metropolitan Center at Florida International University, specializes in economic and housing market issues and said that the two-year-old ballot measure is already outdated when looking at the current economy.
Sin techo en el paraíso: La lucha de ocho familias latinas por encontrar renta asequible en Miami
Y el programa para desarrollar vivienda, dice Ned Murray, experto en desarrollo urbano y director asociado del Centro Metropolitano Jorge M. Pérez de la Universidad Internacional de Florida, carece de visión a largo plazo para “resolver de manera seria una crisis de asequibilidad sin precedentes, con nefastas consecuencias que aún están por verse”.
October
Covid-19 at the Two-Year Mark: taking stock of the pandemic's economic influence
Howard Frank, Director of FIU's Jorge M. Perez Metropolitan Center and a professor of public policy, shares his perspective on how the economy has changed since the pandemic began.
Rebuild or relocate? Hurricane Ian survivors lean toward staying
“We are following a path that is very dangerous,” said Dr. Maria D. Ilcheva, assistant director of planning and operations at the Jorge M. Perez Center Metropolitan Center at Florida International University. “We keep rebuilding in these vulnerable areas. It’s a universal problem within the United States.”
After the storm: How Hurricane Ian has only begun to change South Florida
“Most of the leisure and hospitality jobs in both counties are nearer to the coast where most of the damage and economic impacts occurred,” said Edward “Ned” Murray, associate director of the Jorge M. Pérez Metropolitan Center at Florida International University.
After Hurricane Ian, which jobs are lost to Southwest Florida? Which will come back sooner?
“The greatest impacts will be in leisure and hospitality and retail in Lee County. These are existing employment numbers from Florida Department of Economic Opportunities’ Current Employment Statistics for August 2022. Same for Collier County. Most of the leisure and hospitality jobs in both counties are nearer to the coast where most of the damage and economic impacts occurred,” Murray said.
Floridians Hit by a Hurricane and a Housing Crunch
"Cities will rebuild,” said Edward Murray, a housing expert and associate director of the Metropolitan Center at Florida International University. “But what about poor communities? But what about individuals?”
The Current with Matt Galloway - Florida Reeling from Hurricane Ian
Maria Ilcheva is a research professor at Florida International University and Assistant Director of Planning and Operations at the Jorge Pérez Metropolitan Centre in Miami. "...as a researcher, this unfortunately is not surprising to me because I look at what's happening with as building on on islands close to the coastline, increasing development, increasing population movement along the coastline."
South Florida Housing Crisis
"As housing costs have risen, particularly over the last two years, we're starting to see incredible levels of distress... more and more people are paying much more each month on rent than they can afford."
December
‘The tipping point’: Four Miami-Dade professionals describe housing squeeze
“We have yet to see the [full] consequences of this housing market,” said housing expert Ned Murray, associate director of Florida International University’s Jorge M. Perez Metropolitan Center. “Once you get a degree and you’re a professional, you want to buy a home or at least rent something that is decent. If we can’t offer that in the housing market, they (residents) will find a housing market that does.”
