The tourist industry is vital to the economies of many countries. Orlando, Florida is one of those places in the U.S. However delightful it can be for visitors, working there can be a nightmare.
The article below presents shortage of affordable housing as the most severe in the country — only 20 affordable units available for every 100 working families. Estimates indicate that three quarters of families in the region are housing cost burdened — paying more than 30% of their income for their housing. Evictions rates are reported to be at epidemic levels.
Builders who survived the 2008 housing bubble-burst are more interested in supplying the luxury market for permanent residents of sun-soaked Florida.
Like most modern businesses, the tourist industry that is riding on the wave of low wage earners shows little sense of responsibility for its employees’ problems.
As for government interest in the problem at other levels, federal voucher support is scarce. What about the State and City? Read more about what appears to be a no-way-out problem for a vital industry — a story with a human focus in the Orlando Sentinal: Their Teen Daughter Sleeps In The Living Room. How America’s Worst Affordable Housing Shortage Is Hurting Tourism Workers
