Housing Committee - Regular Meeting

I'd like to welcome each of you to the Housing Committee meeting. All right, today Commissioner Lopez is gracious enough to lead us in prayer. Thank you, Madam Chair. Followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Thank you very much. And Madam Clerk, call the roll.

Commissioner Bermudez.

Coming out of the bathroom.

Commissioner McGee.

Here. Here.

Commissioner Regalado.

Vice Chairwoman Lopez? Here. Chairwoman Bastian? Here, Mr. Clerk. Five members present, we have a quorum.

Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Thank you, Madam Chair.

If we would all bow our heads, please stand and bow our heads. Heavenly Father, we thank you for the day that you've given us, for the privilege of serving on the County Commission. We ask that today we channel your goodness through the agenda items that are before us as we do the service of your people and our constituents in Miami-Dade County. We ask this in your name. 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 so much, Commissioner Lopez. All right, so today is a special day. It's Foster Care Awareness Month. So I'd like to invite my colleagues downstairs for short presentations, and then we will continue our meeting. Please join us downstairs. Downstairs in the well, I mean.

Downstairs where?

Great.

I'm able to all set up for me. Good afternoon again, everyone. I'm Marilyn Bastien, representing District 2. And it is an honor for me today, as we recognize a National Foster Care Awareness Month and celebrate two incredible organizations and caregivers to support children and families across our county. First, I want to extend my sincere thanks to the Miami-Dade County Foster and Adoptive Parent Association and Citrus Family Care Network. Please give them a big round of applause. We want to recognize them for their continued dedication to our most vulnerable youth. The work you do every single day without recognition is really phenomenal. Every day you are changing lives. You are welcoming children at a time when they are most vulnerable.

You love them.

You feed them. You take them to the doctor when they are sick. You give them all the love that they need in their most vulnerable times. Children in foster care deserve safe, loving, and supporting environments where they can heal, grow, and thrive. Many of them have been through serious traumas. That is why the work of foster parents, caregivers like you, and adoptive families, community organizations that support them is so important, extremely important. You step up with compassion, resilience, and love, and our communities are stronger because of you. I repeat, our communities are stronger because of you. As a health care professional, a mental health professional, I saw firsthand while working at Jackson how important a stable, loving, and supporting environment is important, how important it is for children, Today, we recognize not only foster care awareness month, but also the power of partnership and community. Together, we continue to build a future where every child feels valued. Every child feels loved and cared for. Every child deserves to feel loved and cared for. So, with my colleagues and our mayor and our County Chair, it is my honor to present proclamations to recognize National Foster Care Awareness Month and also commending the Miami-Dade Foster Care and Adoptive Parent Association and Citrus Family Care Network for their tireless service. Please give them a big round of applause. Thank you again for being here, and I'd like to ask my colleagues if they would like to say a few words.

Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. So I just want to say to the two organizations of which I've had the absolute pleasure of having worked with for the last four years when I was a state legislator, thank you for the work you do. I'm excited to continue my support of you now as a county commissioner. And so I know firsthand how important the work is that you do, and often it is not only tireless but thankless. And we want you to know that with these proclamations, we see you, we hear you, and we thank you.

Thank you. All right, so we have the proclamations. We'd like to call first. We'll start with Miami-Dade County Foster Care and Adoptive Parent Association. Please come in.

Can we move this?

Can you help him move this?

Okay, that's okay.

You don't need to move it. Okay.

Come, come, come, come.

Oh, hi. That's you. Yes, hi.

Thank you. All right. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for all your work you do. Thank you.

All right.

Take your sticker off so it doesn't come out in the picture. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

I hate that sticker in the picture. Okay, so we're not going to be reading the whole thing. It says here, be it resolved. that Daniela Levin-Cava, Mayor of Miami-Dade County, Chairman Andrea Rodriguez, and members of the county commissioners on behalf of Miami-Dade County and this community do hereby proclaim May 2026 as National Foodstake Care Awareness Month. And then the second one says the same thing, I think. This is for Citrus. Same thing. Yeah.

Citrus, come on up. Oh. Oh, there you are. All right.

I was wondering.

I think it's really heavy. I think it's complicated by that. Would you like to say a few words? Okay. We don't have a mic.

All righty.

Hi, I'm Shamel Jenkins, Executive Director for Miami-Dade County Foster and Adoptive Parent Association, along with Elizabeth Brooks, also one of our valued foster parents, and we're both adoptive parents as well. This is really important because for many years the county used to support us here every year, so I'm thankful to Commissioner Bastien for remembering that foster parents are the number one forgotten volunteers. We should actually be first responders because we work 24-7 for free anytime a child is in need. There are just so many foster parents out here that are getting abused and neglected just like the children. So this is a moment that we can say thank you because they're being acknowledged that they do. I'm speechless. They're important like everybody else. And they're not getting paid, but they're doing the job so that. the children that are harmed today can have a better future. So I really appreciate this from all of you on behalf of all of the care workers, caseworkers, judges, all the laypersons that go involved into making a child happy.

Right? Yes.

Right. Now, we don't get paid, but we take bonuses. And for anyone who's listening, on Friday, Mayor Cava is going to honor 48 of our foster parents downstairs in the atrium. Everyone is invited to attend. That's very, very important to us because everyone wants to be recognized, right? And on the 18th floor, there's going to be free workshops from 12 to 3 on how to become a foster parent. We need more foster parents because of the mental health issues that are going on, financial issues that are going on. So you can be single and be a foster parent. I won't take up too much time, but we need more foster parents. Thank you.

All right. Thank you. Citrus, would you like to say a few words?

Thank you so much, Commissioner. My name is Leslie Vega. I'm with Citrus Family Care Network. We are the community-based care lead agency that manages foster care and related services for Miami-Dade County and the Florida Keys. This is so important for our commissioners to get involved. Community-based care depends on connections like this, so we really appreciate you all taking the time out of your very busy schedules and your meeting agendas to make time for us. As Shamal said, we have a great need for foster parents in our community to provide safe, loving, and temporary homes for children to help bring families back together, to help them heal. and to help find permanency for kids in our community. So National Foster Care Month is a wonderful opportunity to highlight that, and we appreciate you all being here, and we hope that you're able to join us on Friday for the event.

Thank you so much. For those of you watching at home, did you hear what they say? We need more foster moms and dads. We need more. Please reach out. Every child deserves to be loved. Every child deserves a family. Please respond to the call. Thank you.

And then you guys can take the stickers.

Okay, after three. One, two, and three. One more. The last one.

Thank you.

One more, one more. All the cells, all the cells. Right, one more, sorry. Good, thank you guys. Thank you all.

I am nice. I'm not the one that's not nice. Yes. Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you. Watch out, watch out. You're welcome. Yeah, that can come out. Okay. Okay.

All right, all right, all right, all right. Mr. Attorney, is this time for reasonable opportunity?

Yes, Madam Chair.

All right. Do we have any cards? Oh, one public hearing card. Okay. Mr. Attorney. I don't see anyone approaching. So reasonable opportunity is closed. Mr. Attorney.

Yes, Madam Chair, there's some preliminary matters. In addition to the items that were added to your agenda, item 1E1 and 2B, Commissioner Bermudez wishes to be listed as a co-sponsor on item 2B. And item 2A contains a scrivener's error on page MDC014. The address should read 395 Northwest 1st Street. Other than those changes, a motion to set the agendas in order.

All right. Madam Chair, I also wanted to be a co-sponsor on item 2B.

2B, okay.

Thank you.

All right.

And I'll also move the rest of the agenda.

All right. You have a second?

Second.

All in favor?

Aye.

Okay. Mr. Attorney?

Yes, Madam Chair, I believe that there was a motion to move the non-public hearing item, so the only remaining item on your agenda is item 1G1, if you'd allow me to read the title. Will you please? Sure. Resolution approving after a public hearing the fiscal year 2026-2027 annual public housing agency plan and authorizing the county mayor or the county mayor's destiny to submit the plan to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development for final approval. Make any necessary revisions to the plan subject to the limitations of the significant amendment and substantial deviation definition contained therein, or as may be required by regulation statutes, court orders, or safety and security issues, and submit any revisions to the plan to HUD for its approval. Item 1G1 is a public hearing.

Thank you. So it's time to open public hearing. For anyone wishing to speak, I only have one card. When I call your name, please approach. And you have two minutes. I have Madame Renita Holmes.

Good afternoon, commissioners, audience. I'm Madam Anita Holmes. Please check with the clerk's office in regards to verification. And that's very important. I spoke earlier to the resilience committee in regards to the need to understand what resilient means, how it's defined in public housing in section eight. Well, autoimmune deficiency is a growing illness when it comes to those persons who are dependent upon HQS standards for inspections. Inspectors who are not educated in HQS, well, now we are already at a level of inspire has not occurred. Several months ago, Commissioner McGee, we had people come and gentlemen come and we had Commissioner McGee and many of the other guys say that we're not going to let anything happen. And I believe that as the facilities coordinated with Mayor's Office, Chief Morales, that's so vitally important. But when inspectors okay places with 28 violations and there are persons with disability that depend upon you having that level and standard of inspection, then we find something being wrong when it comes to safe, decent, and sanitary. When persons with disability do not get grievance hearings nor understand the policy section 504 and administrative rules, then that means something's going to go awry. But for those of us who can't breathe in my George Floyd voice, that means that we could be dead before this whole thing is worked out. i think you need to review ap2 the item of changing them to quad means a lot more to me than us if i don't get to tell you if i don't get to show you what corrupt inspectors do or what uneducated inspectors do and if i don't get a grievance hearing i don't get to tell you it just means that my rights are violated there are no administrative rules and there are no guidelines and people like us slip through the cracks cracks in the doors cracks in the windows cracking the ceilings With that, I'll close, but I have to do something because lawsuits are abundant. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Madam Glenda Holmes. Anyone else wishes to speak on 1G1? Seeing no one approaching, public hearings is now closed. Mr. Attorney.

Unless there's any questions from the board members, a motion to approve it.

I do have a few questions. I know that you might have, my colleagues might have some too. I have a few questions for you. So this committee, I know you reviewed this plan annually to approve modification proposed by the administration, and I'd like to thank you for doing such a thorough job. We reviewed, I mean, it was a lot to review, but thank you so much because I know and I understand the amount of time that is taken for staff to put it together. I have a few quick questions, and then I'll open the floor for my colleagues to chime in. The plan lists admission preferences for groups like homeless, veterans, elderly, and disabled. Could you clarify what it's meant by homeless, general, and single, elderly, displaced, disabled? Can you clarify what that is? And what does humanitarian referrals refer to?

Madam Chair, through the Chair, I'm going to have Mr. Victor Atkins answer those questions.

Thank you so much. Mr. Atkins, you may have Butch.

Good afternoon, Madam Chair, fellow commissioners, Chief Morales, County Attorney's Office. So your question had to do with what is the definition of homelessness?

In your admission list, preference list, you listed groups like homeless, veterans, elderly, and disabled. I'd like you to clarify what is meant by homeless, general, and single, elderly, displaced, disabled. And also, what does humanitarian referrals refer to?

Okay, with regards to those particular preferences, what the department is seeking to get approved is a weighted preference system. We've been working with the continuum of care of the homeless trust over the past year in an effort to try to address the homeless situation in Miami-Dade County. As a result of those multiple meetings with department officials, we determined the best way to do that was to give a weighted preference system based on different preferences. So, for example, the homeless preference will receive a total point of 100 points. Disabled may receive 50 points. And so those points will be weighted based on the accumulation of preference points. And so that's what that means. As far as the actual implementation, the policy, and the procedures. Those things will be described in our admission and continued occupancy policy and our Section 8 administrative plan, both of which will come before you for approval after the PHA plan is approved.

And what is a humanitarian referral?

Humanitarian referrals is a situation whereby it authorizes the department director to make on a case-by-case basis humanitarian decisions. For example, if you have an individual who needs to bring in an elderly parent who may be disabled, typically that would not be allowed, but it gives the department director to make those case-by-case decisions.

Okay. The regularization of admission preferences across housing programs is important to ensure that waiting lists are addressed fairly. I understand that. What data will be collected and reported annually on preference distribution to ensure we verify that the evaluation process is operating as intended?

Okay, absolutely. So we have a very robust compliance department that actually goes out and review all of that data. Our system is also automated whereby it will automatically rank individuals, and it also has an audit trail. So any tampering or any movement, there will be an audit trail to determine what has happened there. And, again, our compliance department would also be reviewing that data.

But what will be collected? What data?

So the system will be able to clearly identify anyone who has received the preference and whether that preference was verified through the proper channels.

Okay. All right. Last question. Um, I know the, the homeless stress manages the continuum of care, right? Right. Um, um, as required, what steps, what, what steps are in place to monitor and enforce the cap that they are, they are, they are getting like the 50, uh, person's cap.

The system will automatically generate and provide us a flag once those 50 individuals have been placed on the wait list with those preference points.

Okay. I think I have one more. Oversight is important, as you know, in any system. Is there an independent process to audit compliance and admission preferences?

So again, our compliance department, which is independent of both the Section 8 program and the public housing program, they are the ones who actually go out and do that compliance component. So I'm not sure if you're looking for something above and beyond that. In addition to that, the Department of HUD also comes out and do regularly compliance reviews, and sometimes they will actually audit the wait list.

So you basically assess yourself? Is there an independent body that comes in?

So at the end of the year, all public housing authorities must get an independent audit completed, which includes a wait list review.

All right. Thank you. I don't have any more questions. I wonder if my colleagues have any questions.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you. I'm looking at this report here, particularly on MDC 006, and it talks about sections B to A. Can you tell me What is this section for and why is it needed at this particular time as relates to appendix D to the plan?

Excuse me, could you give us more details on this section, please?

Yes, no problem. Thank you so much. On MDC 006, at the very top, equitable programs, it talks about Section B to A, and it also talks about Appendix D to the plan. Can you explain that to me? I have an understanding, but I just need you to give me a little more clarity for this one.

Okay. Good afternoon. Are you talking about what we're talking about, the RAT Section 8 blend with the diminished reduction?

Yes, I am.

Okay. That is a HUD, something that we may apply. It's limited. It's subject to HUD approval. And we can only do it up to a maximum of 5% over total units. And again, this is with HUD approval. And this is something that we may do. It's not a certain thing. This is a plan.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam chair. Um, so if I'm hearing you correctly, then this is something that you, is this something new that you are looking for HUD to approve you to do? And if so, then what was the basis for this particular change?

We haven't implemented any change exactly. These are vacant units that have been vacant for a long time, okay? And they, to repair them or to rehab them, they're just too much. And this is, like I said, a plan. This is not a thing that we're going to do exactly. Okay, and it's a very limited number of units. Excuse me, you said this is a plan that you're not going to be... Yeah, some of these properties have not been finalized, but they have to be in the plan because HUD requires it. When we move forward, they have to be in here. And what we may do or we may not do has to be in here too. So we basically leave it open in case we need to do it, it's already in the plan. OK, everything comes to you before the board for approval whenever we do any rat or any rental system demonstration application or program or property. So you will have the final approval. This is just a plan that we submit to what?

So if I may provide a little bit more clarification. You may. You may. Okay. The de minimis provision is a provision that is authorized by HUD for PHAs. For example, if we have a unit or two units that catches fire and is totally destroyed, we can actually undertake a de minimis application and demolish those without going through the traditional demolition process. It just gives us the authority to do so in the event something like that does occur.

Mr. Vice Chair, are you satisfied?

I've now got a few more questions, Madam Chair. Go ahead. Thank you so much. So then, because you, in particular, you mentioned names of particular areas, like you mentioned Gwen Cherry, Victory Homes, the gardens. And whenever I see specifically named areas or buildings, it says to me that there has to be a reason why you named them specifically as opposed to just saying to all PhDs or HDD properties. Why is it that these particular properties were singled out for this particular plan versus having it simply saying all HDD properties?

I certainly understand what you're saying there, Commissioner, and I would agree. It is applicable to all of HCD's properties. I believe the reason why those were particularly indicated is simply because I think we've had a couple of units in a few of our developments that I'm not real sure of that the names yet, but we have a few units that has caught fire that has been determined to be uninhabitable. And so this is just simply give us the opportunity or the, uh, vehicle to be able to, um, submit that the minute this application to HUD for demolition without going through the traditional demolition process.

Thank you, Madam chair. Quite a few of these, um, particular locations have already been identified within one of these rad deals with triple P's. And I just want for the record to reflect that you're saying By mentioning them here and submitting this to HUD for approval, that is not going to create an adverse effect on those particular deals that are currently being had or negotiated with developers as it relates to these particular areas like Rainbow Village, Gwen Cherry, Calmer Place, Arthur Mays, Naranja.

So, correct. There will be no impact on any future development deals, basically. As you well may know, we have quite a few vacant units throughout HCD's portfolio whereby they have become uninhabitable. We need to take ownership and perhaps implement a very robust demolition plan, which we're looking at funding mechanisms to do that in advance of even garnering a development deal. And so yes, we will be pursuing specific demolition deals again, but to answer your question, that will have no adverse impact on any proposed redevelopment deals throughout the county.

Thank you. All right, anyone else? All right. Okay, so we're going to call the rolls.

Can we get a Madam?

Did we move it?

Madam Chair, I'm not sure if we have a motion on the table. I'll move the item.

Yeah. You move it? Yes, ma'am.

We have a second.

Hello?

We need a second. We need a second. Okay. No, we need a second.

Commissioner Bermudez?

Call the roll, yeah.

Commissioner McGee? No, for now. Commissioner Regalado? Yes. Vice Chairwoman Lopez?

Yes.

Chairwoman Bastian? Yes. Motion passes four to one.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, Mr. Attorney. I'm changing everybody's status today.

No, no, no, I'll defer to you to be the chair and I'll just remain the lawyer. Madam Chair, I believe all matters on your agenda has been taken care of, so a motion to adjourn the meeting is in order.

Okay, we have a motion, we have a second. All right, being adjourned, thank you all.