Miami – A federal housing chief got a closer look at the affordable housing crisis in South Florida and outlined President Biden administration’s plan to bring relief to local areas where thousands of people are struggling to find places to live.

U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Marcia Fudge, who called Miami the “epicenter” of the affordable housing crisis throughout the nation, went on a two-day tour last week accompanied by Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, County Commissioner Keon Hardemon, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez and other officials from areas hit hardest by the affordable housing crunch. .

The crisis has impacted countless Miami-Dade residents, leading to a large exodus and homelessness among people no longer able to afford rental rates that soared by 30 percent this year, according to Cava.

Fudge concluded her tour while attending Cava’s Building Blocks Housing Summit, the mayor’s initiative to find solutions to the housing affordability crisis, at LoanDepot Stadium.

At a news conference during which she outlined new initiatives to address the growing problem for residents and public school teachers, Fudge said she visited stricken areas including Wilson’s district in Opa-locka and Miami Gardens, Hardemon’s district including Liberty City and others.

She said Biden’s plans include lowering housing costs and increasing the supply of affordable housing units.

“I decided today to come down to the epicenter of the housing crisis in this country,” she said. “It is a shame that people who work hard every day cannot afford to live in the communities in which they work.”

LACKING FOR YEARS

Fudge said the federal government is planning to spend about $35 billion in funding to build affordable housing.

She pointed to the Liberty Square Housing Development as the catalyst for providing more affordable homes in the Black community.

For years, Fudge said, the federal government has not provided enough money to address the issue.

The crisis peaked as landlords started increasing rental rates after the Biden administration lifted the ban on evicting tenants impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Miami-Dade residents who couldn’t afford the increases moved to other cities, into homeless shelters, or with their relatives. Some are sleeping in their cars or tents in the shadow of Interstate 95 in Overtown and other areas. Homeowners have complained to city and county officials of people causing a nuisance.

“We live in a nation now where one of the fastest growing groups of people is homeless people,” said Fudge.

Wilson said relief is imminent for people scrambling to find places to live and Fudge is leading the charge.

"This week, we welcomed Secretary Marcia L. Fudge for a tour of Miami, the epicenter of the affordable housing crisis," Wilson said. “Thanks to partnerships with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development we are rebuilding, restoring, and reimagining communities for all."

For those falling on hard times, Wilson said Chapman Partnership is a beacon of hope, providing shelter and support to get individuals experiencing homelessness back on their feet. " "I’m proud to have long supported their efforts and to have brought Secretary Marcia L. Fudge to see this powerful partnership," Wilson said.

After Cava declared an affordable housing crisis in April, she created the Building Blocks Housing program and made over $13 million in federal money available for people struggling to pay their rent in Miami-Dade.

For additional relief, Cava is spearheading plans to build affordable and workforce housing for residents and erect homes on public school campuses for teachers who are also reeling from the crisis.

Cava said her goal is to build at least 18,000 units of affordable and workforce housing by the end of 2023, in addition to the 14,000 units already in the county’s development pipeline, for a total of 32,00 additional units that will be added to the housing supply.

Cava added that her administration is partnering with the University of Miami’s Office of Civic and Community Engagement to create a real-time dashboard to monitor units from planning to completion, from the beginning of the mayor’s term in November 2020 to December 2023.

Cava also announced a partnership with the Miami-Dade County School Board to develop new workforce housing projects at three underused school board properties, to generate hundreds of additional workforce housing units for teachers. The sites include Phillis Wheatley Elementary in Overtown a new Southside elementary school in the Brickell area.

Fudge’s federal agency recently highlighted Miami-Dade County’s ongoing partnership to build workforce housing units for teachers on county property in Brickell as a best practice.

Cava’s plan also includes a $100 million affordable housing commitment from the Healthy Housing Foundation for Miami-Dade, as part of the mayor’s efforts to convene financial partners for significant new community investment.

AT THE FOREFRONT

About $5 million will go toward Cava’s Building Blocks Fund, increasing to $75 million the available funds.

“Miami-Dade is at the forefront of the affordability crisis as one of the most expensive regions in the country,” said Cava, “but through our collective work we are putting it at the forefront of housing solutions with cutting edge innovations and new partnerships to meet the housing needs of our residents and lead the way nationwide.

“Seeing leaders from across sectors come together to work side by side on solutions gives me renewed hope that together, we will build a more equitable Miami-Dade where all people can afford to live, work and thrive.”

Miami-Dade County School District Superintendent José Dotres said the collaboration with the county will enable district land to be used to address housing needs for local educators.

“This work will definitely lead to important housing solutions for our community, including our teachers and many of our district employees,” Dotres said during the summit.

The county’s Public Housing and Community Development office will determine which teachers and employees will be eligible based on incomes for the housing the county and school district builds on the three campuses.

Officials said Thursday that 150 housing units will be built at Phillis Wheatley Elementary for teachers and other school district employees.