Housing challenge
Recent changes to Florida’s condo laws, along with skyrocketing insurance rates and rising homeowner association (HOA) assessments, have placed an overwhelming financial burden on condo owners. For many, these costs have become unsustainable, forcing them to sell their units, despite years of investment and dedication to their homes. As a result, we are witnessing the displacement of long-time residents and communities being disrupted.
At the same time, renters are facing unprecedented challenges. With rents climbing rapidly and affordable housing options dwindling, many are being priced out of the market. Families, seniors, veterans and hardworking people who once had a sense of stability are now struggling to keep a roof over their heads.
We urgently call on local and state leaders to address and prioritize this growing crisis. We need meaningful policy reforms that provide relief for condo owners and renters alike. Whether it’s capping HOA assessments, curbing insurance rate hikes, or expanding affordable housing options, action must be taken now. We cannot allow the cost of living to drive people out of their homes and communities. Let’s prioritize housing affordability and protect residents.
Daniella Pierre,
president,
NAACP Miami-Dade branch,
Miami
Different times
Perhaps I’m old-fashioned, but when a police office gave a command, one was taught to obey immediately.
Last Sunday, Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill was clocked speeding about 60 miles per hour in a 40 mph zone. He failed to understand that his speeding was a public threat. The officer repeatedly requested Hill to lower the car window but he took his time in order to call Drew Brooks, Dolphins director of team security.
When Hill exited the vehicle, he was shocked the officers placed him in handcuffs, considering his physical size and disrespect of the initial police demands. When he was forced to sit on the sidewalk, he insisted on standing due to his “recent surgery.”
Hill couldn’t sit, or didn’t want to sit?
I’m baffled how he could play if he’s that gingerly treating this supposed surgery. Then a teammate arrived and claimed police were beating him up. To top it off, Dolphins management belittled the police department.
I suppose if one is rich or famous, the police and the rest of the world must pause for them.
Max Tojeiro,
Miami
Ritzy motel
Where else but in Miami-Dade County would a municipality pay $4 million above the appraised value of a property?
While I applaud the county’s efforts to meet the needs of the unhoused, I urge county commissioners to reject the purchase of Cutler Bay’s La Quinta Inn. The proposed purchase price includes an unjustifiable premium for a property that needs more than a million dollars of repairs and clean up just to make it habitable.
Please ask the Miami-Dade Homeless Trust to look for a more appropriately priced solution.
Howard J. Tendrich,
Palmetto Bay
Big bite
Ex-President Donald Trump stooped to a new low last Tuesday night when he falsely claimed, during the presidential debate, that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, OH were stealing the pet cats and dogs of area residents and eating them. As revolting as this demonization of immigrants is, we should not be surprised.
We have all witnessed Trump’s repeated baseless claim that recent immigrants come from prisons and insane asylums. Clearly and sadly, facts and truth do not matter a whit to our former president.
The important political (and food-related) truth is that Vice President Kamala Harris ate Trump’s lunch during the debate.
Robert B. Sturges,
Coral Gables
Condo correction
Recent alarmist reports suggest a collapse in Florida’s condo market, but this view misses a crucial fact: the market is undergoing a necessary correction, not a crisis.
As a member of the Legislative Action Committee of the Community Associations Institute, I confirm that market conditions reflect the impact of aging buildings and neglected maintenance. Florida’s about 49,800 community associations, serving more than 9.5 million residents, remain well-managed, with most residents satisfied. Well-maintained properties retain their value, while those with deferred repairs face challenges.
A major factor is rising insurance premiums, driven by Florida’s natural disaster risks and stringent regulations. This increase has led to higher monthly assessments, placing financial strain on homeowners and associations. Policymakers must address these rising costs to prevent further strain on community associations.
Recent legislative changes, including new safety inspection requirements and financial reserve mandates, help tackle these issues and protect homeowners. These measures are crucial for the stability and safety of condominium communities. Well-governed and well-maintained associations are resilient.
This adjustment period highlights the importance of effective governance and proactive management. Instead of viewing this as a collapse, see it as an opportunity for diligent upkeep and strong governance.
Michael Poorman,
Weston
Russian joke
In the Sept. 10 letter, “Insult? Favor?” the reader wrote that she “learned that Russian President Vladimir Putin is allegedly supporting Kamala Harris for president.” Five days earlier, an initial NBC News report stated that Putin was teasing.
Score one for the success of a Russian attempt to undermine our election.
Bob Ross,
Pinecrest
Off the mark
Re: the Sept. 8 Herald online op-ed, “Trump goes full revisionist on the economy.” The daily news should feature the exploits of Donald Trump’s social media platform Truth Social.
While stock markets break records, Trump fails. He can’t blame President Biden or Vice President Harris for his failures as a businessman.
Daniel Solomon,
Coconut Grove
Road rules
The Miami Herald and other news media are confused on “What if I wasn’t Tyreek Hill?”
Late one evening, I made a rolling stop and was pulled over. I rolled down all my windows, turned on the interior light, turned the car off and kept both hands atop the steering wheel. I did this out of respect and deep appreciation for the impossible job our police have in today’s world and because I wanted to do whatever I could to reduce the risk, perceived or otherwise, to the officer.
I was courteous to the officer, who explained that my problems were not the center of the universe and that I had an obligation to my fellow citizens to drive safely. The incident ended without dispatching additional police, without my being handcuffed and placed on the ground, with my ego a bit bruised and without pompous Miami Dolphins players and staff making the officer’s job even more difficult.
Those in a sycophantic delirium can now answer the question; nothing would have happened.
Jeffery D. Halsey,
Sebring
Ballot bunco
The numerous conspiracy theories about election fraud are quite disheartening. For more than 200 years, our country has held free and fair elections. Win or lose, the peoples’ voices were heard with no controversy. If your choice lost, there was always next time.
However, since ex-President Donald Trump has been on the scene, suddenly our election system is rigged, riddled with allegations of fraud, stolen votes and voting violations in the millions. Interestingly, there have been no cries of fraud for other contests on the same ballot. The damage this one person and his minions have done will be felt for many generations to come.
Rita Stern Kaplan,
Kendall
Behind the times
The latest comic soap opera controversy to embroil the Coral Gables City Commission concerns the new $100,000 clock, donated by luxury Swiss watchmaker F.P. Journe, to commemorate the centennial of the city’s founding.
Apparently, nobody informed the Swiss that Coral Gables already has four very fine clocks, prominently displayed in the rotunda above City Hall. The clocks face the four points of the compass, they each tell a different time and all of them are wrong.
Patrick Alexander,
Coral Gables
Local News
