Faith leaders and community members with People Engaged in Active Community Efforts, known as PEACE, gathered Monday at St. Ann Catholic Church to call on local leaders to act on housing affordability in Palm Beach County. The coalition includes 31 congregations.
The Rev. Latifah Griffin, a PEACE board of trustees member, said congregations keep hearing the same concern. “People who are working here are struggling to live here,” she said.
County data backs up those concerns. According to the county’s January 2025 affordable housing report, the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment rose from $1,899 in 2021 to $2,833 in 2024, a 49.2% increase. The median price of a single-family home climbed 41.2%, from $425,000 in late 2020 to $600,000 in late 2024.
Harry Wolin, a retiree on a fixed income, described how he and his wife help support their adult daughter, a restaurant server in Lake Worth Beach who has worked in the industry for more than 20 years. He said her wages alone do not cover housing, and he worries about workers without family to lean on.
Mamie Kisner, who represents Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, said members have reported rising rents, adult children unable to buy homes and families sharing crowded apartments. Some workers are moving farther away, she said, and businesses are struggling to keep staff.
PEACE is also encouraging residents to hear from county commission candidates about the crisis. The group will hold a community kickoff and candidate forum on Monday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m. at St. Juliana Catholic Church.
