Someone has to serve the drinks, clean the hotels, and drive the Ubers. But the workers who keep Miami functioning increasingly can't afford to live here.
The numbers are stark. Median rent has doubled in parts of the city while service wages barely budged. A worker earning $15 an hour would need to work 80+ hours weekly to afford a typical one-bedroom apartment.
The solutions aren't working. Affordable housing programs can't keep pace with demand. "Workforce housing" developments get blocked by residents who want workers nearby but not too nearby. Public transportation remains inadequate for commutes from cheaper areas.
The result is hidden homelessness, crowded living situations, and brutal commutes. Hotel workers drive hours from Homestead. Restaurant staff pack multiple families into single apartments. The service workers smile through shifts in places they could never afford to visit as guests.
Miami's economy depends on these workers. Whether the city can keep them—and at what human cost—remains an open question.
