WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Residents concerned about the cost of living throughout South Florida and the Treasure Coast came together Saturday afternoon at WPTV for a town hall discussion about the housing crisis.
WPTV's Michael Williams and Jay Cashmere moderated the discussion, which brought together both homeowners and renters in search of solutions.
The panelists were comprised of state Rep. Toby Overdorf, R-Stuart; Christina Pappas, a real estate agent and president of Florida Realtors; Jonathan Brown, Palm Beach County's housing and economic development director; and Dr. Ken Johnson, associate dean of graduate programs at Florida Atlantic University's College of Business.
Among those who participated was April Hall, a single mother of four whose current situation is one of desperation.
"Myself and my children were unexpectedly forced to live out of my vehicle," a tearful Hall said. "What can the county – someone – do to help us in this situation?"
SPECIAL COVERAGE: Priced Out of Paradise
Then there was Patty Wilhelm, who lives west of Lake Worth Beach.
"Well, my condo was sold out from under me and I'm now looking for another property, which has been quite difficult, and I'm wondering what pitfalls I should avoid now in this new market in terms of purchasing," Wilhelm said.
Answers to those questions and more can be seen during WPTV's one-hour special, "Priced Out of Paradise Town Hall," this Monday at 7 p.m. on WPTV, WPTV.com and the WPTV app on your phone or your favorite streaming device. Then stick around immediately after to join the conversation on WPTV's Facebook and YouTube pages.
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