Op-Ed for Calle Ocho News about the possibility of homeownership in Miami-Dade
Homeownership has long been the cornerstone of stability for families in Miami-Dade County. It’s how parents build equity, how seniors age with dignity, and how neighborhoods preserve their character. Today, that foundation is under serious strain. Rising property taxes, skyrocketing insurance premiums, and higher mortgage rates are making it harder—sometimes impossible—for families to stay in the homes they worked their entire lives to achieve.
This is not an abstract policy debate. I hear it directly from residents every week. Seniors tell me they are being priced out of the very homes they paid off years ago. Many are renting out rooms or efficiencies—not because they want to, but because it’s the only way to keep up with taxes and insurance. Young couples share a different fear: they want to put down roots in Miami-Dade, close to family and work, but the numbers simply don’t work anymore. Too often, the result is the same—another moving truck heading out of county, or out of state altogether.
This housing pressure is reshaping our communities in ways we cannot ignore. National research now shows that rising housing costs are directly linked to declining birth rates across the country. When families cannot afford stable housing, they delay major life decisions—or abandon them altogether. That has long-term consequences, from workforce shortages to added pressure on future social programs. But closer to home, it means fewer young families, fewer multigenerational households, and neighborhoods losing the people who give them life.
Florida has taken meaningful steps in the past to protect homeowners. The homestead exemption, Save Our Homes cap, and portability provisions were designed to provide predictability and relief. For many years, they worked. But today’s reality has outpaced those safeguards. Insurance costs, property values, and interest rates have risen far faster than the tools meant to contain them.
That’s why current efforts at the state level matter so deeply. The Florida House, under the leadership of Speaker Danny Perez, along with Governor Ron DeSantis’ focus on property tax reform, is advancing a conversation that puts taxpayers first. The goal is not to grow government—it’s to reduce the burden on working families and seniors who are being squeezed from every direction.
Legislators including Representative Juan Carlos Porras and Representative Demi Busatta have proposed a menu of solutions that would allow voters to decide what works best for their households. These ideas range from expanding homestead exemptions, to targeted relief for seniors and first-time homebuyers, to options that address the rising cost of insurance. Some proposals even allow homeowners to transfer the full value of their Save Our Homes benefit when they move—giving families flexibility without penalty.
At the county level, my focus is alignment and accountability. We are advancing legislation that supports meaningful property tax relief while ensuring that essential services—like police, fire rescue, and emergency response—remain strong and fully funded. Relief cannot come at the cost of public safety or community stability. We can, and must, do both.
Homeownership should not be a luxury reserved for a shrinking few. It should remain an achievable goal for teachers, nurses, small business owners, seniors, and young families alike. Miami-Dade’s future depends on it. If we want our children and grandchildren to build their lives here, then we must act now—thoughtfully, responsibly, and with the urgency this moment demands.
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