South Florida organizations stepping up as residents struggle with rising costs of living

Residents are facing a harsh reality as it has become increasingly expensive to live in South Florida. Certain programs, however, have stepped in to help those families impacted by those rising costs. An alarming statistic in a new United Way report shows that over half of households in Miami-Dade County cannot afford the basics. Our recent report shows that 56% of Miami-Dade County households are one paycheck away from financial disaster, said United Way Miami President and CEO Symeria Hudson. The median household income in Miami-Dade is about $76,000, but according to United Way, a family of four needs more than $97,000 to afford the essentials, a gap of over $21,000. The first place that shortfall has shown up is at the dinner table, and that s where Feeding South Florida has stepped in. People want to make sure they keep a roof over their head, they keep the lights on, they have a car to get to and from work to pick up their kids, so food is the first thing to