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By Benjamin Sar
At 20 years old, I had a camera, a dream, and not much else. I left my home in New Jersey, to pursue my dreams in South Florida. I stayed with people when I could. I took whatever gigs and jobs I could find. At one point, I was sleeping in a hotel lobby. Later, I was sleeping in my car.
I was raised to believe that if you save your money, one day it’ll save you. So I kept working, building credit, and picking up photography jobs at night. That’s when I met someone I now consider a big sister. She encouraged me to save with intention, specifically for a home, and eventually introduced me to Bluenest.
Before that, homeownership felt out of reach, like something for people with a safety net. But my process involved guidance. They guided me through credit building, programs, and every step of the homebuying process while my home was being built.
Now I live in a home I’m proud of, in a neighborhood I love, with good neighbors, nearby schools, and a peace I’ve never had before. My home feels like an extension of who I am, and I want more people to feel that too.
That’s why I’m speaking up.
Miami-Dade is in a housing crisis. Median rent is over $2,700 a month, and the county is short more than 90,000 homes for moderate-income households. These are people like me. People working in restaurants, retail, hospitals, and schools. People who want to stay in the county they call home but are getting priced out of it.
There’s been a lot of debate about what kind of development should be allowed in Miami-Dade. But to me, the real question is who we’re building for. We can’t keep saying no to thoughtfully planned, community-rooted housing just because it brings change. Change is hard, but so is watching people give up on their dreams because there’s nowhere left they can afford to live.
I’m proud to support Bluenest’s proposed project at Krome Avenue and SW 272nd Street. It offers exactly the kind of opportunity that changed my life: a mix of home types, workforce pricing, access to grocery stores and retail, and a commitment to building within the Urban Development Boundary in a way that serves the community. I know these homes could be life-changing for someone else, someone like me just a few years ago.
Still, like many projects aimed at expanding access to homeownership, this one is facing pushback, from concerns about traffic to questions about neighborhood character. Those concerns are valid and deserve discussion. But so does the need for homes that regular, working people can actually afford. At the public hearing, more than 80 people came out in support of the project, a powerful reminder that many in the community see this for what it is: a real chance for stability and growth.
We can’t keep pushing working people further out and expecting our communities to stay strong. We can’t expect the people who teach our kids, care for our elders, and serve our neighborhoods to commute hours just to make it work. We need housing that keeps Miamians in Miami.
I believe in working hard. I believe in having faith. And I believe that when the right opportunity meets the right support, anything is possible. I’m living proof. Let’s give more people that chance.
My question is: do we have the courage to say yes to affordable housing, right here in our own backyard?
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