MIAMI — The past two years have been rough for Christopher Saunders.

Saunders, originally from Ohio, moved to North Miami Beach in 2023 seeking a warmer climate to relieve his arthritis. Things were going fine, until costly car and rental bills forced him into Chapter 13 bankruptcy. Around the same time, the rent on the 43-year-old’s less-than-luxury condo was about to get even more expensive — jumping from $1,900 per month to nearly $2,300.

“As soon as you get a little bit of money, they raise the rent,” Saunders said, adding that the attitude of condo owners and landlords is generally “deal with it, or move out.”

On a tip from a co-worker, Sanders applied to live at Wenski Groves, an affordable housing complex founded by Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami and named after M

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