1. RENTS FALLING: But still too high
SWFL remains tough for many residents. Research this year shows Southwest Florida rents are free-falling again, continuing a five-year or so trend that − but housing still isn’t affordable for many residents.
If SW Florida rental prices are down, why is it still unaffordable?
“Rents consume an increasing share of household incomes,” Airgood-Obrycki said. “From 2001 to 2024, renter incomes rose by 9 percent in real terms while rents rose by 30 percent. As a result, the residual income that households have left over after paying rent has declined, especially for lower-income renters.
“Rents consume an increasing share of household incomes,” Airgood-Obrycki said. “From 2001 to 2024, renter incomes rose by 9 percent in real terms while rents rose by 30 percent. As a result, the residual income that households have left over after paying rent has declined, especially for lower-income renters. – Tayeba Hussein/USA TODAY Network-Florida
2. TRAFFIC FATALITY: After pickup collides with pedestrian
A pedestrian has died in Bonita Springs after a vehicle collided with him, Florida Highway Patrol reports.
Around 7:45 p.m., May 18, a Chevrolet Silverado traveling north on US 41 hit a 55-year-old Estero man walking with his bicycle across the street toward the median, troopers said.
The incident happened just south of North Bay Village Drive. The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the pickup, a 20-year-old Fort Myers man, sustained no injuries, troopers said. The two passengers in the pickup, a 20-year-old Fort Myers male and a 19-year-old New York male, sustained no injuries.
The crash remains under investigation. The death is among at least 18 road fatalities in Lee County this year, according to Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
Of those deaths, four were pedestrians. There have been 230 crashes involving pedestrians. – Tayeba Hussein/USA TODAY Network-Florida
3. READ MORE: Online now at marconews.com
If you missed Friday’s Marco Eagle, you can read those stories online now at marconews.com or click on the eNewspaper and read it and other past issues online, just as they appear in print.
Friday’s articles include:
Also, when you click on 3 To Know or 3 To Do, we have helpful links that expand on the topics discussed. The SWFLA To Do List has events listed far in advance of those in print, so that you can plan ahead. There are also stories of interest from around the region and around the state. And no subscription is required.
Read more at marconews.com.
This article originally appeared on Marco Eagle: 3 To Know: Rents falling, but still too high; traffic fatality, more
Reporting by Marco Eagle / Marco Eagle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
