Declare A Housing State of Emergency in Lake Worth! We Need Rent Control NOW!
Mayor Betty Resch, Commissioner Sarah Malega, Commissioner Christopher McVoy, Commissioner Kim Stokes, Commissioner Reinaldo Diaz
English | Español | Kreyòl
Rents have gotten out of control in Palm Beach County! Since the eviction moratorium ended last year, we have seen a huge uptick in evictions. More and more working class people are being forced to move away, or pushed out to the streets and into homeless shelters simply because they cannot afford to rent.
-
Across the state, median rents have increased over 31% in just the last two years.(1)
-
Florida's home prices have risen faster than any other state, while wages have grown slower than the national average.(2)
-
The School District of Palm Beach County had reported in April that 3,883 students were experiencing homelessness with 50 kids being added each week.(3)
-
This is on top of the fact that, even before the pandemic, South Florida was already being reported as one the least affordable areas for renters in the US.(4)
This is all being exacerbated by a speculative real estate market that is driving prices up and up, where properties are often bought and sold several times in the space of just one or two years, each time fetching a higher price from wealthy investors flush with cash.
In response to this crisis, we are calling on our local governments to take action on the rental crisis. Governments can no longer blindly pursue policies that prioritize increasing property values above all, with no regards to cost of living or affordability.
The Rent is too Damn High!
Therefore, we are calling on the City of Lake Worth Beach to immediately declare a Housing State of Emergency and pass rent control laws, and act to protect housing as a basic human right.
1 “Desperate Florida Renters are 'Downsizing or Downgrading' as Price Increases Top the
Nation”, Palm Beach Post, 6/2/22
3 "School District of Palm Beach County has growing number of homeless students", WPTV, 4/8/22
Sponsored by
To:
Mayor Betty Resch, Commissioner Sarah Malega, Commissioner Christopher McVoy, Commissioner Kim Stokes, Commissioner Reinaldo Diaz
From:
[Your Name]
Rents have gotten out of control in Palm Beach County! Since the eviction moratorium ended last year, we have seen a huge uptick in evictions. More and more working class people are being forced to move away, or pushed out to the streets and into homeless shelters simply because they cannot afford to rent.
Across the state, median rents have increased over 31% in just the last two years.
Florida's home prices have risen faster than any other state, while wages have grown slower than the national average.
The School District of Palm Beach County had reported in April that 3,883 students were experiencing homelessness with 50 kids being added each week.
This is on top of the fact that, even before the pandemic, South Florida was already being reported as one the least affordable areas for renters in the US.
This is all being exacerbated by a speculative real estate market that is driving prices up and up, where properties are often bought and sold several times in the space of just one or two years, each time fetching a higher price from wealthy investors flush with cash.
In response to this crisis, we are calling on our local governments to take action on the rental crisis. Governments can no longer blindly pursue policies that prioritize increasing property values above all, with no regards to cost of living or affordability.
Therefore, we are calling on the City of Lake Worth Beach to immediately declare a Housing State of Emergency and pass rent control laws, and act to protect housing as a basic human right.