The English-language version of the investigative report titled “Housing Crisis in Florida: The Puerto Rican Face of Evictions,” written by journalist Laura I. González Alverio for the Centro de Periodismo Investigativo (CPI), won the 2025 edition of the Green Eyeshade Awards in the category of Public Affairs and Public Policy Coverage.

Published in January, the story documents how dozens of Puerto Rican families face eviction proceedings in housing complexes across central Florida. It combines personal testimonies, interviews with housing experts, analysis of public records on eviction cases, and data that reveal how the dream of stability in Florida has turned into a nightmare for some Puerto Ricans. The piece underscores the displacement, resilience, and urgent need for structural solutions to a housing crisis that disproportionately affects Latino and Black residents.

This report, directed and edited by Noel Algarín Martínez, was made possible through a grant from the CPI’s Institute of Journalistic Training. The piece is part of the organization’s effort to delve into and highlight the issues affecting Puerto Ricans living in U.S. cities such as Orlando, New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago.

The Green Eyeshade Awards, organized by the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), have honored the best journalism in the southeastern United States since 1950, across formats including print, radio, television, and digital media. The full list of winners can be found at https://www.greeneyeshade.org/2025-winners/.

You can read the award-winning story in English on the CPI’s website.

Sunshine State Awards Finalists

The Spanish-language version of the story is also a finalist in the Sunshine State Awards in the Best Investigative Work in Print/Digital Media category.

In addition, the series “Caribbean People at Risk from Sargassum Invasion” is a finalist in the Non-Deadline News Reporting category.

Led from Puerto Rico by the CPI and edited by journalist Omaya Sosa Pascual, the project was supported by grants from the CPI’s Institute of Journalistic Training. Coordinated by editor Freeman Rogers, it brought together journalists from nine Caribbean newsrooms: The BVI Beacon, The Virgin Islands Daily News, RCI Guadeloupe, Centro de Periodismo Investigativo, América Futura, El PAÍS América, Television Jamaica, Diario Libre, and La Data Cuenta.

The Sunshine State Awards, organized by the Society of Professional Journalists, honor excellence in journalism in the state of Florida.

This translation was generated with the assistance of AI and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and clarity.