A video has gone viral on social media showing the alleged increase in the number of people living on the streets in Miami.
What is causing this phenomenon in a city of tourist and economic attraction?
The video of Latin Community in the USA on TikTok it unleashed thousands of reactions, showing that the local government faces difficulties in mitigating the problem of social housing.
User comments reveal clues about the possible origins of the problem. They highlight the incessant increase in rental prices in Miami and the rising cost of living for residents.
Analysts and those affected agree that the excessive increase in rents in Florida, skyrocketing between 15% and 23% in cities such as Miami, Orlando and Tampa, is one of the factors that drives more people to the streets.
This, added to the exorbitant cost of food and salaries that do not cope with inflation, sets up a scenario where even individuals with more than one job are forced to choose between a roof over their heads or their daily sustenance.
The situation is more serious for Miami residents who struggle with drug addictions or lack legal documentation.
In 2021, Miami commissioners approved a legislation that penalizes camping improvised homeless people.
The following year, authorities went so far as to propose moving homeless people to city government-sponsored camps on a nearby island, next to a sewage plant.
Among possible solutions, residents are betting on the need to reduce rental prices, create more shelters and government-subsidized housing, as well as offer rehabilitation programs and social services that address the root causes of the problem.
However, the general consensus is that more effective government action is needed to reverse this trend of increasing people living on the streets, in one of the most vibrant cities in the United States.
