We know the potential of Miami. But it can be tough for young people to see ourselves thriving here. We have an affordable housing crisis that is only worsening, and we have to choose between spending most of our income on rent or staying at our parents’ homes…don’t even mention buying a house. Many of us are drowning in student loans and struggling to make ends meet. Unlike older generations, we have no choice but to face the threat of climate change on the future of our community as our city sinks. It can be impossible to get around Miami-Dade if you don’t have a car and incredibly frustrating if you do. Our city, county, and school board budgets invest more money in criminalizing students and community members, instead of investing in services that truly create safety such as school counselors, harm reduction programs, and immigration assistance.
As Gen Z and millennials, we are left with the consequences from the lack of action to save our city and our planet. The fight for justice connects us across cultures and geographies, and building a multiracial movement led by those most impacted is critical to create systems and solutions we need to survive and thrive. Our city, county, and state leaders are beholden to those with wealth and privilege: the corporations and developers driving these crises and hurting our people.
But enough of that. We’ve got issues, and we’ve got solutions, and that’s why we put together the Young Peoples’ Policy Priorities. It’s our platform to create the future we deserve.
We are on the frontlines. We are Black, Indigenous, people of color, LGTBQ+, women, and immigrants bringing our voices, values, and vision into city halls, county commissions, and the state legislature, supporting an organizing ecosystem where we are stronger together across organizations and generations. It’s time for us to rise up and demand more from our elected leaders. These issues don’t affect just a few of us, they affect ALL of us.
Democracy Done Right
We deserve meaningful and accessible opportunities for civic engagement and protection of our voting rights, especially for those for whom it is most difficult, such as working people, young people, and people of color. Our state and local governments must make our legislative and budget processes more transparent and participatory and reduce the influence of special interests such as real estate, utilities, development, and construction.
Affordable Housing
We deserve safe, secure, affordable, and dignified housing options in South Florida that takes into account our low wages and high cost of living. Our state and local governments must put people first in tackling our housing crisis and ensure its investments and regulations benefit the housing needs of our residents rather than speculation and profit.
Climate Action
We deserve a liveable, sustainable future in Miami that prioritizes green jobs, protects our natural ecosystem, and divests from fossil fuels and harmful environmental practices. Our local and state governments must address the climate emergency with bold action and investment by creating good, high-paying green jobs and addressing environmental racism. We must upgrade our infrastructure, secure clean air and food, healthy food, access to nature, make our economy sustainable, and turn a catastrophe into an opportunity.
Community Safety Reimagined
We deserve to feel safe in our homes and in our neighborhoods, no matter where we live in Miami. Our local and state governments must divest from systems that harm us, such as police and surveillance, and invest in solutions that truly address root causes of harm, including community centers, mental health resources, trauma response centers, social workers, reproductive health access, immigration assistance, and libraries.
Transit That Works
We deserve access to reliable and efficient public transportation to get us to work and school, and to connect our diverse neighborhoods across Miami-Dade. Our local and state governments must expand and improve our systems of public transportation to increase mobility and options, alleviate our high transportation costs, and make working and living here more affordable and sustainable.
Equity in Education
We deserve access to high quality education and well-resourced, safe schools across zip codes and neighborhoods in Miami. Our local and state governments must invest in mental health resources for students, comprehensive sex education, tuition equity in higher-education for undocumented residents, and end the school-to-prison pipeline. We must also ensure our schools are free of censorship, students feel safe to be who they are, and curriculum is developed through an unbiased and critical lens that accurately reflects our history.