Slow Florida Housing Market Makes Life Harder For Many
A combination of slowing construction because of dismal Florida real estate sales and stepped-up scrutiny over employment have meant less work for many immigrants, particularly those who install drywall and roofing and do other construction work at South Florida home construction.
The result is a downturn for many businesses that cater to South Florida’s low-wage immigrant population, and the immigrants themselves say they feel less welcome now than in the past.
Therein lies the problem, and the polarizing views:
- Supporters of reduced immigration say this discomfort is precisely what’s needed to persuade undocumented workers to leave the United States.
- Advocates for such workers say they will simply be pushed deeper underground as they struggle to survive.
“They feel unprotected,” said pollster Sergio Bendixen, who recently came out with a study on immigrant welfare with the Inter-American Development Bank. The survey found the job crunch was nationwide.
“Things have gotten much tougher, and if you do get a job, it’s much easier for employers not to pay minimum wage, much easier not to give benefits, not to pay overtime,” Bendixen said.
For once, it’s not just the relative inaccessibility of Florida mortgages that’s causing the crunch for a large group of residents.
The poll of 900 immigrants, both legal and undocumented, said that more than 80 percent of immigrants from Mexico and Central America are finding it harder to obtain good-paying jobs than a year ago in the U.S.
The study was conducted back in June, as a sluggish Florida housing market remained stagnant and the immigration debate consumed Congress, and it was released August 14.
Alvaro Zeas, a legal immigrant from Nicaragua, said that his store in Lake Worth, which sells shirts and belt buckles to an immigrant clientele, is just getting by.
A slow Florida housing market affects all.
“You can feel it,” he said, nodding across the counter to his empty room. “Things have stalled. Everyone is feeling the drop. It’s stressful.”
With bleak housing sales, fewer construction projects are in the pipeline, and analysts say the market isn’t likely to pick up soon.
Real estate analyst Mike Larson recently noted that Palm Beach County has a three-year inventory of homes for sale.
Follow the link to continue reading this South Florida Sun-Sentinel look at the impact of a slow real estate market on immigrants …
