A phrase that once signaled housing as a basic Maslow need has taken on a more sinister cast: The rent eats first. For an increasing number of households on the First Coast, the choice between groceries and soaring housing costs is all too real. A new book explores what happens when housing is viewed as an investment asset rather than a social necessity. An outgrowth of the University of North Florida’s Jax Rental Housing Project, the book drills down on how the local market became dominated by large institutional investors, private equity firms and corporate landlords, some holding thousands of units and creating a social crisis that goes beyond just financial concerns. We talk to the authors about how they built the research project and what they hope their work will accomplish.

Guests: 

• David Jaffee, professor of sociology at the University of North Florida, director of the UNF Jax Rental Housing Project
• Katie Renzi, project manager, Jax Rental Housing Project

Ride of a lifetime

A journey of a thousand miles begins … in Jacksonville. Later this month, veterans embark on an adaptive cycling ride in honor of the nation’s 250th birthday. Some 80 athletes begin a two-week journey to the 9/11 memorial in New York City, with patriotic pit stops along the way, including Gettysburg, the Liberty Bell, Arlington National Cemetery and the White House. The peloton will be divided into four groups of 20 for the relay ride, some on traditional bikes, others using hand cycles or recumbent bikes. We talk to the ride’s sponsor, Wounded Warrior Project, as well as a paralympic triathlete and participant, about the value of physical activity and group endeavors when it comes to overcoming service-related trauma.

Guests:

• Meghan Wagner, director of physical health and wellness, Wounded Warrior Project
• Kelly Elmlinger, Army veteran and paralympic triathlete

Learning with dyslexia

After participating in a national roundtable discussion on students with dyslexia hosted by doctor and U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, Jacksonville pediatrician and advocate Dr. Chanley Dudley joins us to discuss how the city is meeting the challenge of educating children equally and appropriately. Dudley also serves on the board for the city’s primary school for dyslexic kids, the DePaul School of Northeast Florida, which is undergoing a major expansion. We ask her about goals for the new campus and the launch of the Florida Dyslexia Literacy Center.

Guest:

• Dr. Chanley Dudley, parent, pediatrician and board chair at the DePaul School of Northeast Florida & Florida Dyslexia Literacy Center
• Amber Oliveira, head of school, DePaul School of Northeast Florida