Locked Out: How South Florida’s Affordable Housing Crisis Impacts Thousands Of Young Adults
South Florida’s rising housing costs are reshaping the lives of young adults across the region. In this collaborative reporting project, students from Florida International University’s Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media investigate how the affordability crisis is affecting recent graduates, young professionals, and first-time homebuyers. Through in-depth reporting and partnerships with local news organizations, this series highlights the personal stories, economic pressures, and difficult choices facing a generation struggling to build a future in one of the nation’s most expensive housing markets.
Why We Are Tackling The Affordable Housing Crisis
Focused on addressing the lack of affordable housing for young adults, students from Florida International University’s Caplin School of Journalism & Media are partnering with local newsrooms to report on the problem. More than 750,000 South Florida residents, ages 20-29, are struggling to find affordable housing. Our collaboration brings student reporters together with journalists at Telemundo 51/NBC 6, WLRN, The Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald to publish stories that shine a spotlight one of the most pressing challenges in our community.
List Of Stories
Two jobs, one apartment: The cost of renting in South Florida
February 17, 2026
For Zulmarie Fuentes and Emmanuel “Manny” Pratt-Wade, a working couple in their early 20s, rent consumes more than 40% of their combined income — a reality that has reshaped nearly every aspect of their adult lives.
As home prices climb, first-time buyers turn to friends to afford homeownership
January 30, 2026
Shared homeownership isn’t new, but who’s doing it, is. As prices surge, more first-time buyers are turning to friends to afford a home.
According to the National Association of Realtors, home prices have risen 56% since early 2020. At the same time, first-time buyers now make up just 21% of the market, with the median age of a first-time buyer climbing to 40-years-old.
‘I can’t stay in Miami’: Why young people are leaving the Magic City
January 29, 2026
Peter Gutierrez, 21, has lived in Cutler Bay for much of his life, but when he reached adulthood, he began to question whether Miami was where he wanted to settle down.
“There wasn’t really a specific moment I realized I wanted to move away,” Gutierrez said.”It was more of an encroaching feeling.”
Affordable for who? FIU students struggle to live beyond rent
January 28, 2026
On an ideal morning, Giovanna Ruiz would wake up slowly as the sun spilled across her bedroom wall. Wrapped in a lounge set with a warm cup of coffee in hand and her cat Chi Chi curled beside her, she might journal, paint or read, just because she can.
But most mornings aren’t like that. Not when rent is due.
Two mid-20s Miami-Dade men explain why living with family is their only option
January 27, 2026
Florida’s cost of living hit record highs in 2024, and young adults are feeling it the most. Rent keeps going up, wages aren’t keeping pace, and affordable options are hard to find. For many, living at home isn’t about a lack of ambition, it’s simply the only thing that makes financial sense.