Housing Committee - Regular Meeting

Please call the roll once more, sir.

Sure thing. Commissioner Bermudez? Present. Commissioner McGee? Commissioner Regalado? Pastor Woman Lopez? Here. Chairwoman Bastian? Here. Three members present, you have a quorum.

Thank you. Please rise for prayer followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Bow your heads, please. Dear Lord, Unite our hearts and reveal to us your great purpose. Help us in all our endeavors and grant us the strength, the courage, the wisdom, the love to serve all the residents of Miami-Dade County. Leave us not to ourselves, dear Lord. Guide our steps by the light of your knowledge. Chill our hearts by your love and shower us with your blessings. Keep us safe in your embrace today and always. We ask all this in your name, dear Lord, as we all say, amen. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you, Mr. Lawyers. I think it's time to open reasonable opportunity for the public to be heard. I have a lot of cards. When I call your name, please walk to the stands and you have two minutes to speak. I'm going to call three at a time. Daniel up here. In line up. Miss Renita Holmes. And we December.

Okay.

Okay. All right. Thank you. Which one was that?

Good afternoon Madam Chair and Commissioners.

My name is Daniella Pierre, address 7151, Northwest 14 Place, Miami 33147. I stand before you in support of agenda item 2A. I want to thank you Commissioner Bastien for leading this item as well as the commission. I'm a full time employee. I have more than 20 years in the Florida retirement system. I hold multiple college degrees. I'm a mother, I'm a grandmother. I volunteer and contribute in my community in many ways. Yet, I am priced out of living here. The irony of that is also that when it comes to luxury apartments and the private market, I don't make enough. So on one side of the AMI, I make too much, and on the other side of AMI, I don't make enough. Some of those private markets want you to make two and a half times the income, even going up to three times the money in the rent. This is not just my story, it's also the story of many teachers, senior citizens, restaurant workers, healthcare workers, and many other public servants in Miami-Dade County. With today's area median income at $89,000, that number does not represent or reflect the families in this community. And as we're celebrating America's 250, I think it's much appropriate that we're having a conversation finally about AMI for Miami-Dade County. We ask that you continue to explore ways and approaches that take into account the hourly wage and salaries of people who work here currently, not for those who are coming here. Additionally, We have to also remember that housing is a human right. Thank you.

You can conclude right now.

And is designed to create pathways to stability and ultimately the American dream. So I support the item agenda 2A. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am. Ms. Holmes?

Madam Holmes, Executive Director of Wave of Women, thank you. I'd like to talk about a most disparate group of citizens in our community. When we talk about housing and housing opportunities and housing development, the village is amiss of a big gap for our young folks. When we talk about those who are just reaching adulthood, we see in our community, particularly the black community, blocks that are going away. I'm grateful for the heirs program, but what we need is the opportunity to have space. When I look at the number of youth that are disabled, it's a big no. Even though we haven't reached our 15% memorandum that HUD gave us, in regard to providing housing for youth is detrimental to us right now. When we talk about legacies at the status of the black community, that conversation came up with many of our speakers, but when I see opportunity in land, we don't see many opportunities in co-ops. We hardly see any young women and young men, although we focus on women in public housing. As executive director of Waving Women in Public Housing and Our Homes, I want to assure you that they're ready. Please take in consideration the gap that we have to close. And I'm pretty sure many other speakers will speak to you about today. but this is our generation this is our legacy and this is an industry that's a miss of young builders college students disabled folks those who are taking care of their grandparents i want to thank you for the opportunity to speak on behalf of those who are not spoken of or spoken to or heard we have so much land that we give away it's amazing and i'll close with this When all of us were young, we got building blocks. We built this, and then we had Legos and all of that. Well, now we want to let go of the Legos, and we want to build our land. Thank you, and have a great day.

Thank you, Madam Holmes. Amanda Lloyd. Tashiba Franklin. Charles Radford. Please give your name address for the record. And you have 2 minutes.

Hello ready?

Yes, you can start man.

Okay. Hi, my name is Amanda. My address is 2150 Northwest 127th street, Miami, Florida 33167. I'm here today with the Black Collective. Anybody heard of them? Okay. My purpose today, we are here because public land belongs to the people. We are not against affordable housing. We are asking whether this deal is truly in the best interest of the community and the future generations. We deserve transparency, accountability, and meaningful community benefits before public assets are transferred.

Thank you, Ms. Lloyd.

Thank you.

My name is Tashima Franklin. I'm transferring my time to Brittany Williams.

Mr. Williams, did you sign a card?

Yes.

You did. Okay. Go ahead. Hold on. I don't see. Brittany Williams. Okay. I see it.

Hi, everyone. How y'all doing? My name is Brittany Williams. My address is 2636 Southeast 20th Court, Homestead, Florida. I represent Exit 1. I am the field director with the Black Collective. I'm here to oppose item 2C. I also want to go on record to say that 2B, I'm really supportive around the AMI. The reason why I'm opposing item 2C, which is selling off a piece of land for $10 when it's worth $3.4 million. Once the land is built upon, how much more money will that land be worth? Why are we selling public land? assets to private developers who do not have our best interests at heart. When we talk about the AMI right now, the AMI does not represent our community in any shape or form. It does not equate the value of the displacement that is happening in black and brown communities across Miami-Dade. There are other options, leasing. If we're selling public land in exchange for our $800,000 educational scholarship, I really think that commissioners here need to have political will and political imagination. Because there's an opportunity here to address education and create a pipeline of scholarships that will last the 30 years of the actual lease that you all are saying that affordability will take place. We are already in a political landscape that is continuously taking our safety nets. Our communities are impacted by this. And everybody is moving down south, Homestead, Florida City. We see this. Why are we not thinking about the right to return home for people who are being displaced in Overtown? Overtown, which is no longer a black community. Thank you, ma'am. Can I also get my two minutes? She waived her time to me. No, ma'am.

Thank you so much.

Okay, thank you.

Sir, state your name, address for the record.

And I do my name is all about it. I just not to know what 7th Street. Yeah, I'm here. I feel like. The public and belongs to the people. And I feel like doing public has one of the few resources the community had left.

Thank you Sir. Jane Jackson. Valencia Gunder. Vance McTaggart. I apologize if I. No, sir. Thank you so much. Two minutes. You have two minutes, ma'am.

Yes. Good afternoon, everybody. I want to address to my commissioner, Mr. Hardiman. I'm here. Ma'am, ma'am, ma'am. Yes. You cannot direct your- Okay, okay. Anyway, I'm upset about the fact that you all are allowing these developers to come in our communities and just ripping us like a hurricane, ripping the floor from the ground. We don't get no opportunities to get jobs when they come in. They dismissing us, they don't want to hire us. And then they develop, if you're going to make contracts with these developers, at least put us involved in it. Ask us what do we want in our community. This is our community. And we deserve as taxpayers to have what we want in our community. Not what he want, not what she want, not what he want. Because these are people not even in Florida. They're coming way from other countries and states. and taking over everything that we ever had. We don't have much, but we should be obligated to say what we want in our community. Our children have struggled going to school thinking that they'd go to college and one day can live in one of these glamorous buildings that they're building and they will never get the opportunity. The elders ran the world and they don't have that opportunity to live luxury, like a lot of y'all sitting on the panel. It ain't right. Commissioners, to all of y'all, y'all need to stop it. Stop what you're doing because it's wrong. And remember, y'all have children and grandchildren as well, not even thinking one day they might be in that circle where they can't live in luxury. And that's everybody have a right to live and enjoy their self. But it seems like some people don't want that for us. And it's wrong. So before you go to bed tonight, think about it. Ma'am, please go back.

Please state your name and address for the record.

My name is Janie Jackson, single mother of seven sons and two girls, 1161 Northwest 50th Street, Miami, Florida. Thank you. Thank you.

Ma'am, you are recognized.

Valencia Gunder, she, her. I live 797 Northwest 74th Street, Miami, Florida 33150. So I'm here to speak on item 2C. I support affordable housing in Miami. What I do not support is permanent transfer of public assets without a clear demonstration that the public is receiving the benefits proportional to the value of the land. The proposal before you would transfer publicly owned land for $10 to a private development entity affiliated with the Relia Group, a company that has developed more than 10 million square feet of real estate throughout South Florida. It has clearly sorry, has shown us the financial capacity to complete major projects without relying on public land giveaways. In exchange, the public is being offered 14 residential units affordable to households earning up to 120% of the AMI for a period of only 30 years. So I have just a few questions. Is 14 units affordable at 120 AMI for 30 years enough public benefit to justify permanently transferring public land into private ownership? Because that is the trade that's being proposed. If the affordability commitment ends in 30 years, why should the public's ownership end forever? If the developer has the resources and experiences outlined in this proposal, why is a permanent transfer of public land necessary? Did y'all even consider any alternative, like a community land trust or a short-term lease so that the community can guarantee community control for the long term? And I'll say this in our close. You know, affordable housing should not require surrendering public assets for us to receive what we need. And I'd like to close like this as I walk away. I thought it was county rule that somebody could transfer their time over, and it's very surprising that we've been told no.

Thank you, ma'am. Thank you. State your name and address for the record.

Yes, hello. My name is Franklin Tiger. 4300 Northwest 12th Avenue. I'm from Black Collective. Basically, I'm up here wanting to ask for me and my community. It was proposals mentioned about an $800,000 scholarship fund. I would like to know, well, me and the people would like to know who benefits from that. Who's, like, what kids are getting called for that? How many students will benefit from that and how long would a funding last? And I also don't like how y'all making brown subs. The community, that's a black community. Y'all basically making it smaller, shrinking it, and expanding Hialeah, which is already a bigger area itself. So that's all I wanted to say. Thank you for your time.

Sir, did you fill out a card? Because I don't have your name.

Yes, I did. Franco Matagra.

We don't have a card from you, sir. You mind feeling one out? Yes, I did. You did.

You called my name when I stood up and said I was going to wave, but you guys are not allowing that.

All right, sir. Thank you so much. Myra Passamore. Passamore. Thank you. Fence McTaggart and Terrell Washington.

Good afternoon. My name is Maya Passmore. My address is 163 Northwest 40th Court. I'm here in support of item 2A.

Ma'am, please just state your address again because there is a different address here.

Oh, that's my business address. My home address is what I'm saying right now. You want that one?

Yes, ma'am.

You want that one on the card? No, your address. Yeah, that's the one I just gave you. So my time is, you paused it, okay. Say your address again, please. Yes, ma'am. It's 16350 Northwest 40th Court in Miami Gardens.

No, I have 66 West Flag.

That's my business address.

Yeah.

So you need me to update the card?

Yes. Okay, no problem. I'll update it. If you give it to me now.

The 16350 Northwest 40th Court.

Got it. Thank you so much.

You're welcome. So I am here in support of item 2A, and I would like to thank the NAACP Miami-Dade chapter for bringing public attention to this important issue. I am a homeowner who was fortunate enough to achieve home ownership through the Miami-Dade County infill housing program in District 1 under the leadership of Commissioner Barbara Jordan. That opportunity changed my life. Today I also work as an entrepreneur and a real estate professional and as an agent. One of the biggest challenges facing young professionals that come to work with me as their agent is to disconnect between area median income and the actual cost of living in South Florida. While HUD's methodology may work on paper, many working families, teachers, healthcare professionals, and entrepreneurs like myself and first-time homebuyers find themselves earning either too much or they don't qualify because they don't earn enough for assistance. to afford housing here. Again, I was fortunate enough to benefit from these programs, but too many people are being priced out and forced to leave South Florida because wages simply are not keeping pace with housing costs. I support this item and you all doing the research because understanding whether there are better ways to calculate affordability is an important step forward, keeping our workforce and our families in Miami-Dade County, especially natives like me. Thank you.

Thank you, sir. State your name.

Yes, good morning. My name is Terrell Washington. And good morning, Commissioner. Address 4300 Northwest 12th Avenue. I'm here on the 2C item. I disagree with that totally. And when you say affordable, affordable for who? House costs continue to rise and property taxes continue to rise. Insurance costs continue to rise. We are being asked to promise. We are being asked to promise before the public land is being transferred. The community deserves to know exactly who benefits. And now, promise is not enough. Local hiring requirements, living wage jobs, deep affordable, priority for long-time residents, scholarships programs, community oversights. And that's all I got to say. Thank you. Good morning.

Thank you. Madam attorney.

Closing reasonable opportunity?

Yes. Anyone else wishes to speak? All right. Please approach. Please make sure that he has a card, please. You have two minutes, sir. State your name and address for the record.

My name is Theo Karen Salas, and my address is 289 Shadow Way, Miami. Right, you have two minutes. Good afternoon, Commissioners. I'm a Miami-Dade resident and a disability advocate. I also serve as the Florida State Activist Leader with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. I use a walker because of multiple sclerosis and double vision. I'm speaking today strictly on disability access. As you consider housing funding items, including CDBG, home, ship, and related public investments, I ask that accessibility be treated as a core requirement, not just a box to check. Affordable housing is not truly accessible if a resident can enter the apartment but cannot safely reach the sidewalk, bus stop, train station, grocery store, pharmacy, or medical appointment. We've already seen what happens when access is treated as an afterthought. At the Okeechobee Metro Rail Station, a major transit-oriented housing project opened earlier this year. It was a public-private partnership. Yet pedestrians with disabilities still face missing sidewalks, and no safe accessible route to the station. Police require ADA compliance, universal design, accessible routes, safe transit connections, and follow up monitoring for publicly funded public housing. Miami Dade's housing dollars should build communities people can use safely, independently, and with dignity. Thank you.

Thank you. Reasonable opportunities now closed. Madam attorney.

Madam Chair, the items to be considered at today's meeting are the items listed on your official printed agenda, the changes listed in your changes memo, and in addition there's a scrivener's error in item 1G1, Exhibit C, page MDC 31, the line relating to the Allapattah Community Resource Center facility improvement. It says it's District 2 and it should be District 3. A motion to set the agenda is in order.

Move.

Okay.

I have a second on one and second, then all in favor. All right. So does anyone wish to bifurcate any of the items except for one G one, which is a public hearing item. Okay. Seeing no one.

Madam chair, I move the remaining of the agenda with the exception of one G one.

Okay. All in favor.

All right.

Thank you. Madam Attorney.

Please open public hearing for 1G1. Thank you. Which is a resolution approving after public hearing fiscal year 2026 action plan funding recommendations consisting of $12,657,029 in community development block grant program funds, which includes 1,645,410 of commission district funds. $4,722,449.45 in home investment partnership program funds, et cetera. Thank you.

Thank you. Public hearing on 1G1 is now open. Anyone? Oh, so we have one card. So I'm going to call your name. There is one card, all right. When I call your name, please approach and then state your address for the record, your name and address for the record. Theo Kalantzakis? Sorry, if I... No, he also wants to speak to 1G1. Do you wish to speak on 1G1, sir? Theo? Ah, okay, so that was a mistake. All right, thank you so much. Anyone else who wishes to speak on 1G1? So you didn't fill out a card.

Fill it out.

All right. You can state your name and then you can fill it out.

Good afternoon. My name is Nikita Williams. I'm speaking in reference to Liberty City, 15th Avenue, 69th Street. 68 Terrace and 15th Avenue has been a lot of change. It's been a lot of wrong.

Ma'am, please state your address.

402 Northwest 19th Street, Miami, Florida, 33136. Thank you. Okay, ma'am, it seems to be a problem in Dade County. It's a big problem that we all need to fix. It isn't about creed or color. It's about sticking together in this community. The bills are very high. The gas is high. The water is high. The food is high. Everything is high. And it's a complaint in the community. It's hard for people to survive. to be able to live in the communities that they're living in due to the construction and all the things that you are bringing into the Miami community with people that don't even have the money or the assets to be able to get money with these jobs that you guys are building all of these buildings and construction sites and the rent is over the roof and we're trying to figure out who has the money to pay this rent. Who has the money to pay this gas bill, this light bill, this water bill, this food bill? Like, who has the money for it? It's like a lot of things are being funded in our community and no one is helping. Everybody is take, take, take, and no give to the community of the people that have been there that deserve seniority. Seniority. You have people coming and putting construction in areas that people were not even used to, let alone the bills that they come with. It's outstanding. So I'm speaking for my people. You know, in Miami-Dade County, I'm speaking for us because it's been a lot of wrong. And it isn't right. And it's not going to get fixed with greed, greed, greed, and take, take, take from people that, you know, that really don't have it, have it, have it. From these big corporations that's coming to just step on the souls of people that have been here forever. I don't think it's right, ma'am. And that's all I have to say. Nikita Williams.

Thank you. Thank you, ma'am. You're welcome. Anyone else on 1G1? Seeing none, public hearing is now closed. Any of my colleagues wishes to say something? Okay. All right. Move by.

Madam Chair, I'll move 1G1.

All right. All right. Now, Madam Clerk, call the roll. Oh, I didn't close it? Okay. Public hearing is now closed. I thought I said it. Mr. Clerk, please call the roll.

Commissioner Bermudez?

Yes.

Commissioner McGee?

Yes.

Commissioner Regalado? Yes. Vice Chairwoman Lopez?

Yes.

Chairwoman Bastian?

Yes.

Motion passes unanimously.

Thank you. Madam Attorney.

Nothing further, Madam Chair.

Anything else for my, all right, second, meeting adjourned. Thank you all.