Ralph Linardic

Ralph is a journalist in Orlando, FL who loves hearing and telling the stories of others.

I'm a journalist living in Orlando, FL. I love all forms of storytelling, including film, books, and traditional journalism. 

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Fall 2023 portfolio

NSM.today •

Netflix filmmakers bring border crisis documentary "Split at the Root" to Orlando

Filmmakers from the 2022 Netflix documentary "Split at the Root" brought the story of mothers separated from their children at the U.S. border to the near-packed house at Premiere 14 Fashion Square movie theater in Orlando on Sunday night.

Directed by Linda Goldstein Knowlton, the film, which is streaming on Netflix, follows the journey of mothers Yeni Gonzalez and Rosy Cruz, both separated from their children at the U.S. border while immigrating and the second chance that the organization Immi
NSM.today •

UCF housing fair brings students together in the Orlando heat

In the windy, humid Orlando weather, hundreds of UCF students gathered at the Student Union Patio on Friday to talk to local apartment complexes at the Off-Campus Housing Fair.

The event is meant to assist students in finding off-campus housing near campus, as well as provide insight about financial aid, according to the UCF Student Neighborhood Relations post.

This is the third UCF Off-Campus Housing Fair in 2023, including one in person on Feb. 7 and one virtually on Feb. 10.

Chris MacDonal
NSM.today •

UCF students and parents adjust to life without one another

After driving 19 hours from Wisconsin to Central Florida to send his daughter off to college, Tony Paladino, father of UCF mechanical engineering freshman Bella Paladino, was overcome with emotion.

“The first thing that hit me was the first exit sign that said, ‘University of Central Florida,'” Paladino said.

As UCF freshmen and their parents experience life apart from one another, all the changes in life are revealing themselves.

Martha Aguilar, mother of freshman biology and pre-med major E
NSM.today •

Despite year-over-year rent decrease, living by UCF remains expensive

Despite a recent dip in pricing, housing in the UCF area remains costly, forcing students to be creative with how they pay rent.

The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the UCF area is $1,480 a month, down 7% from 2022, according to research from Zumper, a company that specializes in apartment rentals. However, rent is up nearly 33% from September 2020, according to Renthop.

The City of Orlando has been putting general fund money into a bank account that will be used to pay for afforda
NSM.today •

Converted hotel brings Orlando residents affordable housing

One Stop Housing is converting Orlando’s Ambassador Hotel into Palm Gardens Apartments; an affordable housing complex that will feature 150 one-bedroom and studio apartments.

“Everything in these apartments are brand new," said Mark Vengroff, managing partner of One Stop Housing. "All plumbing, electric, all the utilities are new. We're building in full kitchens."

The fully renovated units will start at $750 a month, with electricity and water included, according to One Stop Housing's website.
NSM.today •

The financial and mental strains of buying a house in 2023

From other buyers making lightning quick offers on listings to extravagant prices for middling homes, buying a house in 2023 comes with obstacles.

"It's a discouraging situation in general because you work hard, you have a professional job, you think you should be able to afford or buy a house that's within your means," said Dr. Steve Haberlin, a newly hired UCF assistant professor.

It takes almost $115,000 a year, nearly double the median salary in the United States, to afford a standard home
NSM.today •

The City of Orlando receives a $500,000 grant to redevelop housing communities

Thanks to the 2023 Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, two local Orlando communities are in the process of getting a makeover.

A $500,000 grant will fund the plans to redevelop Washington Shores’ Lake Mann Homes, a family public housing site with 210 units, and West Lakes’ Lorna Doone Apartments, a 104-unit building for the elderly, according to a press release from Lift Orlando.

The Orlando Housing Authority, along with Lift Orlando,

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