The article examines how U.S. tariffs on steel, aluminum, and lumber were driving up construction costs in South Florida during 2018. Builders reported material cost increases of 5-10 percent, with some projects seeing price hikes of $20,000-$34,000.
These rising expenses compounded existing affordability challenges—the median Miami-Dade home cost was $345,000 while 85 percent of median-income residents couldn’t afford to purchase.
