WESH 2 Chronicle presents Priced Out: Renting, buying, and the struggle at all price points

Right now on chronicle rent is sky high. I'm just gonna tell it like it is rent is sky high and you can't afford it. Central Florida families living paycheck to paycheck and on the edge, they want these outrageous prices, they want like $6,000. They want three months rent in two months security, that's like 10 grand. I don't have that kind of money priced out of *** place to live and wondering when things might get better so we cannot ignore this problem. And now it's gotten to be *** crisis tonight. West Chronicle continues to dig on central florida's housing crisis from supply. We just can't build them fast to demand. If you hadn't found this place, what do you think could have happened? I don't know. I might, I might not be able to give my son the things he needs. Whether you're renting or hoping to buy into the american dream. How's the process been for you? Somewhat frustrating with the market being what it is? Um, it's been difficult to find *** house that's affordable, basically. Half of Central flow. They can't afford to buy an average house here. This is West Chronicle priced out. Hello and welcome to Chronicle. I'm jim Payne and I'm Michelle in Peredo. We're in one of Orlando's hottest neighborhoods. Lake como where for the last two years, homeowners had buyers and realtors practically begging for *** chance to make *** deal that's just one side of the wild real estate and housing market, we have seen in central florida in the recent past. Besides the buying frenzy, which seems to have momentarily cooled, there's also the struggle to find *** four double living. Doesn't matter whether you're buying or renting. None of that is new. Pre pandemic florida was seeing 1000 people moving to the Sunshine State every week and things only ramped up after that. Also pre pandemic was our housing crisis West, who spent 2019 chronicling the struggle to find affordable housing across central florida. And we begin this program where we left off in 2019, Orange County faces the largest population of people dealing with ballooning living costs. It's why in 2019, mayor jerry Demings convened the housing for all affordable housing task force. After six months, the group handed the county *** blueprint on how to turn things around. Three years later, our Greg Fox is asking if any progress has been made for the people barely able to call Orange County home. It's home to the happiest place on earth And *** different kind of magic at Hogwarts. But to handle the 75 million people *** year who visits central Florida's theme parks takes more than Hocus Pocus. Disney and Universal alone employ more than 100,000 people. Not long after the opening of Toy Story mania at Hollywood studios, Annie Sierra landed *** job there in 2010. She works at the Animal Kingdom. Now *** career dream come true since the age of 16, I wanted to work at Disney just smiles that the Children being able to see the Children know that I'm helping make somebody's memories that I myself as *** child, cannot have. It keeps *** smile on my face. Her daughter, kayla is *** Disney housekeeper, but that's not all she has in common with her mother. Both have been battling cancer, both are struggling to afford rent, anne says her landlord has raised her rent three times this year and may do so again in january, her daughter will soon abandon her apartment and move in to share the rent money only goes so far, inflation is really killing us and the fact that you have landlords that are raising rent every 2 to 3 months or whenever they feel like it. Do you sometimes have to make choices about what you spend? I do. I have to decide if I'm going to pay for my cancer treatment this week, if I'm going to help pay for my daughter's um if I'm going to skip meals, if I'm going to have enough gas to make it to work for the financial struggles facing. Anne and fellow theme park workers, this could be part of the solution land near the 4 29 in Western Way on which Disney is planning to build 1300 affordable housing units. Universal Orlando resort has also hired *** developer to build on 20 acres near international drive and destination way catch light crossings. It'll feature 1000 affordable and mixed income units next to its new epic universe theme. But anne wonders if that will do much to help people like her and so many of her struggling coworkers. No, I'm not confident it's gonna help when it's done and it's actually helping. Then I'll believe it when with the higher ceilings so it feels Dustin Hughes gave us *** tour of his new apartment built right on top of his two car garage. The 650 square feet is just right for his first tenant who moves in next month. He says, permitting was *** breeze. Thanks to regulatory changes recommended by Orange County's housing for all task force, which gives property owners more flex ability to add what are called accessory dwelling units. So I based the material selection off of my home as *** builder. Sometimes frustrated by planning and zoning regulations. He says Orlando and other cities and counties can learn from Orange County's model. I mean, this creates more housing. It helps keep keeping things from being urban sprawl, which is nice. It's better to bring everything in. You know, maybe help reduce traffic *** little bit. Things like that. So I do *** little more density. Yes, density is what we need in Orlando potentially in laws one day when they're um, you know, *** little older David Watkins took us inside his new ***. D. U. *** 920 square foot two bedroom apartment he built next to his home. Eventually it's for his in laws, but for now it's *** rental for us. Like like I mentioned it was *** good way to reinvest money into our home and get the most bang for our buck. In 2019 the county removed barriers to building *** dus like reducing minimum living area requirements, reducing parking requirements and allowing flexible lot configurations. Since then, the yearly average of roughly 16 ***. D. U. Permits issued has more than tripled with 158 permits issued between 2020 and 2022. But while ***. D. U. S. Are adding inventory, they're not moving the needle when it comes to affordability with Dustin, charging *** monthly rent of $1700 and David charging his tenant $2000. I don't think I have to, wow. You let the unit speak for itself, but it is quite nice. This is moving the needle when it comes to affordable housing. Orange County affordable housing program manager Sarah El Badri showed us one of The 96 units at the preserve at Emerald Villas, *** senior housing complex, modern, comfortable *** big plus when it comes to new construction, senior housing is the configuration of the bathroom. Not only is it larger compared to the overall size of the unit, it's safer, for example, take *** look at the shower, *** low threshold here for people that have wheelchairs or use walkers and it's got grab bars. 123 The complex and Pine Hills opened in late 2020 offering rental rates based on income along with Madison Landing, which opened in December 2021 and Hawthorne Park which opened last june. The county has opened 326 senior housing units since the start of the pandemic, giving hope to those who had no place they could afford to live. People like Deirdre trey 11 who pays $876 per month, the slice of heaven. And when you talk to some of the people around here and their stories to get to for them to get here, it's like all the same. It's just crazy and it's just wonderful here. All of these projects are made possible with funding from the county's affordable housing trust fund which helps bridge funding gaps and incentivize developers to build more affordable and mixed income apartments instead of those at rising market rates. And so the housing trust fund is able to do that. And also as we put investments into it, we're also able to attract other investments and so we want to make sure that the housing that we invest into is long term affordable for much of the, that we work on the affordability of these developments is 30 to 50 years. The big question is this is the county on track to help fuel construction of low income affordable housing and attainable housing for those at or near the median income in the decade ending 2030 the county expects to invest 160 million trust fund dollars in public private partnerships. The goal create 30,300 units. But according to the county's own objections, the need will be 110,000 homes. That means the county is only meeting less than one third of the need. Bottom line goal is to be able to target 35% of the number of units that are anticipated for the next 10 years. In the county planning manager, Alberto vargas tells me that means about one in three new housing units will be deemed affordable or attainable. Is that hard? It is hard. It is definitely hard, but we're work working together so we collectively have *** strong belief that we will address the majority of the challenge that's placed in front of us with this strategy changes that are being put in place. I think the end result was *** big success. Terry Prather co chaired the Housing for All Task force, he runs lift Orlando, *** business partnership that built the communities of West Lakes, which includes affordable senior housing, mixed income living, *** boys and girls club and *** soon to open medical facility near camping world Stadium, *** model for housing as Orange County grows. We're not just talking about affordable housing. We're talking about how do we strengthen communities and housing happens to be *** component of that. And if we do *** better job as community leaders and business leaders of strengthening those communities that are less that are not as strong as others. That's that's the dream versus just having x number of units of affordable housing Next on Chronicle. I would not be able to meet that burden of *** normal one bedroom. Finding affordable rent can be like winning the lottery, but why the obstacles and how some builders are getting creative to meet the need. When Chronicle continues, Welcome back to Chronicle. When it comes to affordable housing, why can't central florida generate enough of it? The need is certainly there. It's one instance where the demand and the supply don't sink because of the economics. Amanda Dukes dives deeper into what it takes to get into the affordable housing business. And some interesting examples of it being *** success here in central florida on West colonial drive. An Orlando hotel with *** troubled past is now the Colonial gardens, apartments over 200 rooms have been converted to studio units, which have become *** lifeline for renters like gibran cassis, like we found this listing and I was like, that can't be right casas is paying $750 *** month for the 288 square foot studio he shares with his four year old son Elias, it has *** full kitchen and the rent includes utilities and wifi. He says the small but affordable space allows him room in his budget to meet all of his son's needs. It's *** blessing. I wouldn't have been able to give him *** lot of things that I'm able to give him Cassis. Never dreamed he would struggle to pay for housing. The 32 year old has *** master's degree in environmental science and works full time as *** health inspector for the state. But he says, as *** single dad, his income level just can't keep up with central florida's soaring rents. I would not be able to meet that burden of *** normal one bedroom. According to the National low income Housing Coalition. Orlando ranks second worst in the country when it comes to the affordable housing shortage. The median rent for *** one bedroom apartment in metro Orlando in october was about $1400 and for *** two bedroom 1650 That's *** 6.5% increase over the same time last year and over *** 30% jump over what median rents were prior to the pandemic in 2019. The spike in housing costs means many central Florida families are cost burdened or paying more than 30% of their income for housing. In fact, according to the Florida housing coalition, more than half of renters in orange, Osceola Lake and Volusia counties are paying 3050 up to 80% of their income solely on rent. It's not much better in brevard Marion and Seminole counties, all where the stats hover well above 40% of take home pay, just covering rent for cassis that could mean not having enough money left over to pay for things such as getting to and from work, food, clothing, and health care, you have *** master's degree, you have *** good full time job, working for the state and yet it was *** struggle for you to find an affordable place to live and if I lost this place it would be *** struggle. Absolutely. Does something seem wrong with that? I can't, I don't understand, it wasn't even, it's just skyrocketed. It used to be for the prices they're charging for like one bedrooms and studios like that's used to be what two bedroom apartments were going for. The apartment casas found is *** creation of one stop housing based out of Sarasota, it's *** for profit company, but with *** philanthropic mission to put *** clean, safe and affordable home or house over everyone who works. Mark Vengerov is the managing partner of one stop housing. They've turned three hotels in central florida into affordable apartments, including their most recent project, the conversion of the old Ambassador Hotel on west Kelowna into palm gardens. Then graph says the demand for affordable units is higher than his company can meet central florida. We're getting over 150 phone calls every single day of good, hard working individuals that are just looking for *** place and unfortunately we just don't have enough inventory out there. Ben graff says the majority of developers don't build affordable housing because it's difficult, if not impossible to make *** profit. He admits his company is fortunate to be in *** financial position to be motivated as much by philanthropy is making money as for how to get more affordable housing built. He's optimistic. The deepening crisis is motivating both government and the private sector to take action. Private enterprises starting to jump in and participate in ways that they never did before by opening up *** checkbook to acquire land. Have *** have someone like ourselves build those units for them for their employees. One example of the private sector getting involved is catch light crossings, it's *** joint project of Universal and developer, Wendover housing and is *** 1000 unit affordable housing community being built on 20 acres of land not far from Universal's planned epic resort, It will offer *** variety of affordable rents for households with incomes ranging from 20,000 *** year, all the way up to 70,000. We've always had *** need here in central Florida. Ryan von Weller, the managing director of development for Wendover says Wendover has been able to turn *** profit building affordable housing by using tax credits or Other government monies. If you're not doing this particular business model, you're never going to be able to do truly affordable housing. Von Weller says, the government tax credits to build affordable housing are *** finite resource and competitive to get. That's why Wendover is currently one of only about 10 developers building affordable housing projects in Florida. As *** result, the demand exponentially outpaces the supply and Wendover is projects like heritage village commons. An affordable apartment complex for seniors in Longwood was inundated with applicants before construction was done. No matter how old you are, you know, you still want that privacy. You know, just that independence living by yourself, 86 year old jerry farmer needed to downsize from her home in massachusetts and move closer to her son, but on *** fixed income, could only afford about $500 *** month rent. Her unit at Hawthorne Park is around 8 50 her son pays the difference. She's grateful to have found an affordable and safe home and it's quiet clean. I have, you know, it's beautiful. I just love it here. Both farmer and casas feel fortunate to have found affordable homes and hope more people can have the same luck. But the few developers who are building the housing admit it will take many years and lots of collaboration between government business and the community at large to meet the demand. The need is so great from renting to buying. I'm on Redfin, I'm on Zillow truly almost every night looking at homes trying to find that right one. The unpredictable market has made people looking for property press pause. We're digging into the economics of the house hunt next on Chronicle priced out. We want to get back to the house hunters. The people looking to put down roots, build financial equity and own their own home. You have buyers markets and sellers markets, but nothing like what happened mid 2020 through this past summer, homes bought sight unseen bidding wars that typically ended with people priced out Christina Watkins walks us through the struggle to buy in this roller coaster real estate market. What's going on sir? Good to see you again. Garrett. Turner and Jason Goree are longtime friends. They both grew up here in central florida located right off of 4 19 in state road 50. Now they're doing business together. Turner who works for core group real estate is Gary's realtor. Perfect. What year was this? Was *** 2020 So it's practically brand new even though courier knows the market isn't so hot right now. He's still on the hunt for the dream home for his family. I'm on Redfin. I'm on Zillow truly almost every night looking at homes trying to find that right one born and raised in Oviedo. So I want to kind of stay in the Seminole County area. Orange county central florida area. I've been looking since March had some houses going to contract fell through. Interest rates have gone up to the roof. So we're playing it by ear right now and waiting to see how things shake up the wiki Turner walked him through this house in Orlando. So you have four bedrooms, three bathrooms. And then you have this thin space here. But was it enough for him to settle down right now? So we're not in *** rush to about right now, but we were looking to move, you know, as soon as possible families growing, her daughter's getting bigger. We have two dogs. We're looking for *** little bit more space in the house and it has taken *** little longer than we anticipated or will he wait for the market to change? Real estate experts say that's one question many potential buyers ask themselves. The fear we're hearing constantly is should I wait for the market to go down? Should I wait for interest rates to go down? And it's really hard for us to give. Um, we don't have *** crystal ball, right? I mean, we're giving the best information we can try to help them make the best educated decision that possibly can we talk to Justin core owner of core real estate group. He says the market has been on *** roller coaster since he got into the business in 2008. Where are we now on this ride? So we're making *** little bit of *** correction for sure. Um This is not necessarily predicting where prices go. Um, but the demand that was there, you know, the demand was created in 2020 people were, were leaving where they were from, they were coming to central Florida. I mean really *** place with lower taxes, cheaper cost of living. Um, and shifted *** lot of their equity here and now. I think the challenges, we've got people that have lived here for *** long time feeling like, man, what happened? How do I still stay relevant? How do I buy the next home? Um, and so it's, it's causing *** lot of concern and they're not wrong to be concerned. New data from Redfin shows just how unaffordable it is to own *** home in Orlando from October of 2021 to this October, the average mortgage rate on *** newly purchased home jumped almost $1,000 then to afford that average price home, you needed to get *** big raise last year, the annual income needed to pay that mortgage was $67,088 this year, it's almost $105,000. So let's do the math. That means you would need *** 56% raise. How is this affecting you all if anyway, as *** real estate group, it's definitely changed the way we talk to our customers and prepare them for it. Um, You know, I think, I think it's important understand that our job is not to just sell everybody at home right? It's important to, you know, if there's somebody that wants to buy and is set on buying and they're moving here and they've got to find something that's our client today and that might be *** very different client from next year. Online realtor Zillow predicts home values will flatten over the next year with prices going up *** little more than 1% by next september. So I think it's important for people not to think because prices are going down, the market is falling because it's just not really the case. You tend to think that right, you see, oh the price went down, that means oh my goodness, maybe the market is changing, but that's not the reality of it. So one thing we say to buyers and sellers alike all the time is that list prices just list price. Right? So that's why it's important as *** buyer were able to figure out what is it worth to you? The list price may be high, low or right on target. On the flip side, experts say don't let the current state of the housing market completely discourage you because there are some benefits to buying right now. Nearly three and five agent Zillow surveyed said some buyers like courier are taking more time to consider *** home and asking for certain contingencies in their offers. Maybe we can ask for closing costs, Maybe we can ask for some cellar repairs that we couldn't have asked for before because previously had to offer over asking price considered. So it is giving buyers *** little bit more flexibility. So here we have the massive kitchen, it's also giving realtors like Turner *** little more time to have those important conversations and consultations with potential buyers. So we're not in the market to where we have to see the property right now because it's going to go off the market because of the quick pace of the industry. Now, things have slowed down is giving buyers the opportunity To actually understand what they need, what they can afford and they were going to go find it. So if you're looking to move from one house to another in central Florida, but you worry about high interest rates and costs, experts say, way all of your options and make the decision that's best for you. We definitely find the right property the right price point that has everything that we want. We can always refinance out of *** 7% interest rates are going to be this high forever. Still ahead. Why an entire segment of home buyers is striking out when it comes to owning *** home. We cannot ignore this problem. And now it's gotten to be *** crisis what's vanishing from the central florida landscape. Keeping renters from becoming buyers When chronicle priced out continues. You tell them about your family and how much you would enjoy living there at that home. And if they could please consider us for the home nothing. They always go for the higher price. Welcome back to chronicle priced out. Owning *** home is *** big part of the american dream. So many of us grew up living or wanting, but now that dream is fading for countless first time home buyers for *** unique reason. Houses that used to be built for them are vanishing houses like the ones here in Orlando's Lake como neighborhood. So I started asking, where did all the starter homes go? They said, I do. They started *** family. Now all Hayden and kevin Lederer need is that first house to call their own. How has the process been for you? Somewhat frustrating with the market being what it is. It's been difficult to find *** house that's affordable Just *** few short years ago, the Lederer's $250,000 budget could have gotten them *** modest two bedroom bungalow in Orlando, but not anymore. After an emotional year of being edged out by cash offers or just outbid kevin Lederer says he realized they're currently priced out of the housing market. So he and his wife paused their search for *** starter home. Just made sense to continue to rent and try to save to where eventually hopefully things do interest rates may come down and prices will come down to where what I want is affordable again. Are you hopeful? Yes and no. Um yeah, that's ***, that's *** tough question to answer, tough because when you look around neighborhoods across central florida like Lake como, where the Lederer's rent and were hoping to buy city Commissioner Patty Sheehan says it's clear the landscape and the prices are changing. We don't have any more two bedroom one bath homes are two bedroom, two bath homes being built. And because of that, there are no starter homes, you're having *** five bedroom three bath house being built, you know, 8000 square feet. According to Freddie Mac in 2019, only 7.2% of homes built in florida were starter homes compared to 46.9% in 1980. Today, land is more expensive and so our building materials and costs potentially part of the reason developers aren't constructing small homes any. But the problem doesn't solely lie with new builds that. Look at the porch, look at how welcoming that is. Commissioner Sheehan says the charming bungalows once synonymous with Orlando real estate, Every single house has *** little bit of *** charm, *** little bit of *** character are being torn down, replaced by so called mcmansions, Everything looks the same, everything has the same hip roof, everything has the same shrubs and it's cheaper to do it that way, even though you're building *** half million dollar house, this is just one factor, Sheehan says is contributing to the disappearance of the american starter home, not just in her district, but across central florida, Sheehan warns the repercussions are dire, there is *** loss of affordability that we need to address and it can't just be market rate. Homeowners drowning in debt service industry were Workers and young people leaving the area and lost is the opportunity to build wealth through real estate like previous generations. So we cannot ignore this problem. And now it's gotten to be *** crisis. More and more people are moving to Florida, making the situation even worse Florida grew by more than 211,000 residents, Florida's booming housing market and people moving to our state in droves, experts like mortgage broker share um Sandy say inventory is low but there are still some starter homes on the market, they're just not starter home prices. So I pulled up data from the MLS for Orlando in Orange County in 2019 when we're comparing the home prices between starter homes. So your two bedroom starter home average price was 225,000 pre pandemic. Then we go into 2022 here to date your starter home has jumped to 332,000. You heard that right? The average starter home in Orange County jumped more than $100,000 in just three years. And that's the case throughout central Florida. According to MSs reports from 2019 to 2022, the average two bedroom home in Seminole increased $89,000 in Osceola 95,000. And in Lake County $107,000 add to that the highest interest rates in 20 years for the average home. Now the mortgage payment is almost 3400 bucks. So you gotta, you know, make 100 and $20,000 *** year just to buy that basic home basically half of central florida can't afford to buy an average house here Because they are below the median income that includes single Mom Pamela Beck. Are you having to kind of tailor what your expectations were? I am completely did *** 180 with the tailoring of my expectations. So now it's just if it has *** good unit good roof, we're going to go even with the healthy down payment and budget. She's been forced to write letters, pleading with homeowners to accept her offers. Are you kind of over looking at houses with me? Beck explains how she cares for her aging mother and two sons, one foster and one adopted with special needs and how she wants to provide them with stability. When you pour your heart out in *** letter and you don't get *** response. Very deflated, very defeated. So with many buyers shut out of the market, what can be done to help get them back in? Jason Burton with Orlando's planning division says they're creating historic districts and enforcing design rules to protect and preserve the character of certain neighborhoods. Why while at the same time diversifying available housing. So it could be anything from single family homes, but also accessory dwelling units like granny flats and tiny homes to duplexes, town homes, triplex is. And even multi family housing. So adding that dimension of different types of housing into our housing stock, makes more housing available to different lifestyle choices as our community grows up, Burton says they're working to make sure homeownership is attainable in some form in Orlando, even if it looks different than the single family home of decades past, but for some buyers, it's not happening fast enough. Hypothetically, let's say it's *** year from now and you still can't afford anything in this area. Would this housing crisis make you leave central florida? It would definitely make me consider it now, being able to work remote with everything that happened with the pandemic. You know, the commute to central florida isn't as big of *** deal. So I would definitely consider moving out somewhere that's more affordable to where I could actually get the kind of house that I'm looking for. Homebuyers aren't the only ones in *** bind right now up next. People aren't being pushed out of housing because they simply didn't pay their rent rent is becoming unpayable rising rents in central florida are pushing people to the limits how some are managing next on chronicle when you can't buy you rent, but even that has become *** burden for many people being priced out of renting is the reality for not just discouraged homebuyers, but young families, seniors and anyone making minimum, even median wages, Christina Watkins found out what it's like to try to rent and keep an apartment Nowadays, six month old alessandra patterson or Allah as her parents call her is one happy baby girl. Her mom and dad, Angela and Jonathan Patterson moved to Orlando from Miami in july of 2021 looking for more space to make sure their baby would have room to crawl, walk and grow to push yourself backwards only *** little bit on the floor yet. But they quickly learn despite being college educated and having good jobs. Finding *** home in central florida wouldn't be as easy as they thought. They were like, okay, let's try and get this going before she was born and it just, it didn't work out money wise, savings wise. Um Houses on the market, we're not really what I wanted. I was trying not to be too picky, but buying houses and Investment and I didn't want to go into just buying it because just to have it just to say, Okay, we own *** home. So the pattersons took *** step back and extended their lease at this apartment complex in Apopka, giving them more time to look and save money or so they hoped, but then they were hit with rising rent costs, so it went up about $400 um for us and that was *** shock. We were given notice that it was going to go up, but the notice doesn't change the fact that I'm still working the same job. How difficult is it to try to save when you're dealing with rising costs of rent to be honest, it's been rough. Um What we wound up doing was just turning on an automatic withdrawal type of thing. We don't see it, it's going into our savings but it's still hard. Angela says when they first moved to Apopka in 2021 their rent for this two bedroom two bathroom apartment was about $1600 including electricity and water. This year they said it went up to about 2000 and that new price does not include utilities. Knowing this was just too much for their wallets. Angela's husband suggested they take *** chance and tried to negotiate with their property manager. I went to her and I said look um I actually changed my job this year. We had the baby, We don't have any family up here, we really don't have anywhere to go. Is there anything you can do to help? Are you getting any new amenities? Is anything changing? Are they adding anything to the complex? That was *** big part of my husband's reason for us to negotiate because nothing was changing to the Paterson surprised their property manager agreed to lower their basement to *** price. They could somewhat afford if they hadn't, Angela says they would have moved back to Miami to live with family. Angela says even with the negotiated price, it's still expensive. What have you all had to cut back on if anything because of the rising costs. Um I would say kind of going out on Sundays, where *** huge football fan, so Saturdays or Sundays going out to just spend some time outside of the house. Is it? Almost check to check, sort of almost, yeah, almost. So grocery shopping gotta like, what do we buy here? What we buy their data from the Schomburg Center for Housing Studies at the University of florida shows in Orlando, out of every 100 rental units, only 24 are affordable, meaning they cost 30% or less of *** person's income. The data also shows while there are enough apartments in central Florida, the amount landlords charge for them can often make those homes unattainable for most people. And despite the construction we see happening, Schimberg data shows not enough affordable rentals or in development. In fact, Florida is on track to lose more than 66,000 affordable rent In the next 20 years. Fighting to reverse that trend. Are people like Sheena role, she had the advocacy group Florida rising. They are fighting for families like the pattersons who are getting priced out of paradise. People are resilient, people are responsible and so people aren't being pushed out of housing because they didn't pay their rent, rent is becoming unpayable and unfortunately Orange County and central florida and increasingly the whole state is becoming unaffordable role says, out of the decade, she's been working for housing justice, this is the worst it's been and families are suffering, she says because the wages don't match the increase and your rent is about $1800 and you get *** notice that within *** month and *** half your rent will be $2500. Where are those $700 going to come from? There's no job, you can walk into the door and say I just need 700 more dollars. It's not possible. And that leads to desperate times. For many who aren't used to living. Check to check, you start to see middle class, upper middle class homelessness where families are broken apart and you put two Children here and one child there and the parents have to stay in different places. Or sometimes the parents sleeps in the car. You see people renting u haul trucks and vans because it's much cheaper than rent and hitching it to their cars, sleeping in it overnight, parking in the parking lot and driving their cars to work back at the complex where Angela lives. She told us some of her neighbors are moving in together to *** bigger unit to split the costs regardless of the capacity limit. If it's three bedroom, you can only have six people. Some people I know for *** fact have more than that there because that's their only option to make things work for themselves and their families financially. It's *** struggle for many. But Angela and her family are just trying to keep it all in perspective. So it's disheartening. Um we're definitely grateful that we're in *** position to where we can stay here and we can keep the lights on and the water it's tight. But at least we're in *** position to where we're able to take care of the necessities when the necessities become out of reach. Where do you turn my kids? At one point they didn't, they didn't have anywhere to call home for three months. Next you'll meet families on the edge of this housing crisis and see what it's like to have no place to call home. Here's *** question that sadly sums up the situation for *** lot of people. Where would you go if you couldn't afford your home anymore? Could you move in with family? What if you're *** parent, where do you go that keeps your Children safe and stable. For many of our neighbors. It's not *** scenario to simply imagine it is. Their reality marlin Martinez shows us what it's like to have no place to call home. Edwin solace traveled *** long way to get here. The husband and father moved from new york city to central florida where he's now *** shuttle driver in historic Sanford. Edwin brought his family to florida for *** better life saying they left new york to escape the gang violence plaguing his neighborhood. But what Edwin didn't know before his move down south. The coronavirus was about to upend his plans. We were planning to buy *** house, but guess who followed us from new york. The pandemic. Edwin says he and his family moved into *** rental house in Oviedo in 2019 and then into *** rental in Orlando the following year. How much was the rent there? It was 17 95 but *** year later when he's talking about $500 and I said, whoa man, That's like $2600 rent was going up just as the storm was about to hit the pandemic cut into Edwin's work hours and then his wife had to take leave from her job for *** knee replacement so they couldn't afford *** house anymore. We moved into *** roach hotel Every time you want to eat, the roaches just came out. My bills backed up, everything backed up because I'm paying all, I'm making $700 *** week. So I'm bringing home $600 and $500 for for something is going to the rent. So all I got money is for food and gas. So I'm in *** bind now. And I finally told her, I said, honey, we have to find *** place to go if something happens to me, we're gonna get thrown out because I can't pay all of this. So they made calls and the hope place *** homeless shelter in Daytona Beach, welcomed the family with open arms. This is my son's bed. Edwin, his wife and youngest son went from *** house in Oviedo to three years later, piled into one room, swallow my pride because this is not what I want for my family. Sometimes I feel like *** failure. Sometimes I feel like I let them down. But lucky for me that I'm connected to God and I pray, we met Edwin in the shelters prayer room. He's holding onto his faith, using that as motivation to save money in hopes of finding his family *** new home before christmas *** daunting task when he says the only affordable places he's found, don't feel safe. I don't want to go into these neighborhoods. You know, that's the reason why I left new york, I left New York cause I wanted something better for my family according to the Florida housing coalition. While the state has seen *** significant drop in homelessness over the past decade, there are still over 27,000 people experiencing homelessness on any given night. There you go. Donna jones says that was almost the case for her. He's like, what is he doing after moving from new york to the plan was to find her own place in Claremont, the green bag empty. But she's been living with her sister, her sister's son and grandson because she says her disability check can't keep up with rising rent prices. What I get is what I get and I stretch it the best way I can the third week of the month I'm broke, waiting for the next check, according to the Zillow observed rents index rent across florida skyrocketed during the pandemic, even doubling in multiple cities like Daytona Beach and Melbourne in less than *** decade. Donna says she's thankful for help. Like the Lake County food pantry neighborhood center of South Lake. You got the right, okay, cool. Thank God because this is really good for everybody. And she's grateful to her sister pam daily who's given her safe haven. It really bothers me that nobody can find somewhere to live. You know, when they first get here, they probably could, but now it's too expensive. It's nerve wracking. It's frustrating. It's annoying. And sometimes I get mad with three generations living under one roof. The sisters say finding affordable rent on *** fixed income is impossible. I'm just gonna tell it like it is the rent is sky high and you, I can't afford it. I'm disgusted. I kind of just had to live day by day. It's *** tough reality that kelly Robinson faced with her four kids in Palm Bay this year for *** while. She pulled resources with her sister for *** rental house to, it was cheaper and easier. I wasn't able to afford living on my own at that time. So me and her, she's *** single mom. I'm *** single mom and we just kind of got together, but then the landlord decided to move back in, sending kelly and her kids packing. She wasn't able to find another place with just her income. So they jumped from hotel to hotel. It sucked having to uproot my kids, my boys multiple times and having to explain to two little boys, you know why we're living in *** hotel, Children who are living in motels because their family lost housing are defined as homeless by the Department of Education. According to the florida housing coalition, the state has seen *** 122% increase in students identified as homeless in the last decade with one daughter in basketball, another in cheer and *** son in football kelly says it's *** challenge working to make ends meet, it's impossible. I mean it's possible to live on your own. I mean, especially with kids, I make decent money and even with my income and having four kids and receiving child support from their father. Absolutely impossible to live in *** home to get to get *** not income based or government or subsidized house. Absolutely impossible. Recently kelly caught *** break. She just moved her kids into their new rooms after the brevard County nonprofit community of hope covered their moving costs and first month of rent. Oh God, I can actually give my kids *** christmas, I can actually have *** little breathing room. I can actually have *** home to come home to my kids at one point they didn't have anywhere to call home for three months now kelly Edwin and donna all have their eyes set on the future. Despite the uphill battle, they say they're determined to one day find *** more permanent place to call home. My kids keep me going. It's my kids that I do everything for. I'm not gonna give up blessings and miracles happen every day. You have to have hope. You have to have faith. You have to have blind faith that things are gonna get better. It's beautiful if you are on the verge of being priced out of your home, we encourage you to call 211. The United Way's helpline has many resources across all of central florida that can put you in touch with *** nonprofit or *** government agency that may be able to help. Three years ago when we started reporting on the housing crisis, we hoped like many people that by this time we'd see some progress. Despite the stark numbers, there are glimmers of hope, the bay biggest being the full funding of the Sadowski Housing Trust fund this year. And that is thanks to pressure from you, the public put on elected leaders to keep this issue *** legislative priority. *** new slate of leaders are about to take over in Tallahassee. So keep it up because only when we hold the powerful accountable, when we see the change that central florida needs for the entire west to chronicle team. Thanks for watching