Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava declares affordability crisis, announces urgent solutions

Today, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava addressed the affordability crisis in Miami-Dade County with actions her administration is taking to deal with skyrocketing housing costs. Local rents have increased over 30% in the last year, stifling economic development and placing strains on the ability of local businesses to find and retain workers. The mayor announced an executive directive, as well as additional funding for the Emergency Rental Assistance program (ERAP). After successful implementation of its initial tranche of ERAP dollars, Miami-Dade County has received an additional $13 million that will be used to support eligible residents experiencing rent hikes across the County.    

“Miami-Dade is where the American Dream is in full swing, but over the past year, we have become one of the most unaffordable regions in which to live – stifling that opportunity for many and hurting our working families,” said Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “We are experiencing an affordability crisis in our communities, and so I am acting to provide Miami-Dade residents with the immediate relief they deserve.   

“My administration is working tirelessly to find solutions to make housing affordable for all residents, including alternative funding options for developers, incentivizing more sustainable construction, and making it easier to build in our County. We will continue working until we are confident that all of our residents have access to affordable, quality, and secure housing.”  

The mayor announced an executive directive to critical county staff to accelerate solutions for residents, called the Building Blocks program. The first step of Building Blocks will be a new and additional $13 million dollars into the ERAP program, which is now available to eligible Miami-Dade residents.  

Additionally, Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced an upcoming convening of Mayors to collaborate on affordability solutions across the County.  Mayors from across the county's 34 municipalities will convene to identify potential solutions and make a countywide commitment to providing equitable and affordable housing for our residents.  

Residents can learn more about ERAP eligibility requirements by visiting miamidade.gov/rentrelief, by emailing [email protected] or by calling 305-723-1815.