Affordable Housing Is a Fatherhood Issue

By Stephanie Berman, President & CEO, Carrfour Supportive Housing
Special to FatherhoodChannel.com

When we talk about housing, we’re not just talking about rent and square footage. We’re talking about families. We’re talking about fathers trying to stay connected to their children. We’re talking about community stability and the foundation for opportunity.

The 2025 Rental Market Study confirms what we at Carrfour see every day: Florida’s affordable housing crisis has deepened, especially in the tri-county region where we operate most of our 26 supportive housing communities. The numbers are staggering:

• In Miami-Dade County, the median rent for a one-bedroom apartment is now $1,785 per month, up 12% since 2023.
• In Broward County, average rent for a two-bedroom unit exceeds $2,120, pricing out most families earning under $50,000 annually.
• In Palm Beach County, over 58% of renters are cost-burdened—spending more than 30% of their income on rent.

The statewide data is equally grim. A full-time minimum wage worker earning $13/hour must work over 60 hours per week just to afford a modest one-bedroom unit in any of these counties without being rent-burdened. The gap between wages and rent is wider than ever, and it’s hitting low-income fathers and families the hardest.

For single fathers, especially those separated from their children or recovering from homelessness or incarceration, this crisis is not just about affordability—it’s about access, dignity, and opportunity. Nearly 70% of single-adult renters with children surveyed in the study reported spending over half their income on housing. Without a stable address, many are denied custody, visitation rights, or even the ability to co-sign for school enrollment.

At Carrfour, we see how this plays out in real time. The fathers in our housing communities aren’t absent—they’re resourceful, committed, and resilient. What they need isn’t judgment. They need housing. With stability, our residents regain employment, reunite with their children, and become anchors in their communities.

The study also found that:

• 1 in 5 renters in South Florida received an eviction notice in the past year.
• Over 56% of extremely low-income renters statewide are at imminent risk of displacement.
• In Miami-Dade, more than 38,000 low-income households are currently on affordable housing waitlists.

These aren’t just statistics. These are stories of children moving schools three times in one year. Of fathers who show up every other weekend in borrowed spaces. Of families separated not by conflict, but by cost.

There is hope—and we see it every day. Carrfour’s supportive housing model, which pairs safe, affordable units with on-site services like job readiness, mental health care, and parenting classes, works. In 2024, 98% of our residents remained stably housed after one year, and many have progressed to full independence or family reunification.

Housing is not a luxury. It’s a platform for growth, for healing, and for family. If we are serious about supporting fathers, reducing trauma, and ending homelessness, we must invest in solutions that recognize housing as a human right.

Let’s build not just homes—but hope, dignity, and a future where every child has a bed in their father’s house.

Stephanie Berman is the President and CEO of Carrfour Supportive Housing, Florida’s leading nonprofit developer of supportive housing for formerly homeless individuals and families. With over 20 years of experience in housing policy, community development, and nonprofit leadership, Stephanie has overseen the creation of thousands of units of permanent supportive housing across the state. She is a passionate advocate for housing as a human right and believes deeply in the power of stable homes to restore families and transform lives.

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