The City’s $1 million allocation will be utilized for the acquisition and rehabilitation of permanent supportive housing by the Homeless Trust, providing a combination of fifty-five (55) units and beds available for the City to refer eligible homeless individuals identified by the Homeless Outreach Services Program. Forty-five (45) single occupancy units will be available at Blue Village, located at 18055 SW 12th Street, Miami, FL 33194; and ten (10) beds for homeless persons 65 years and older at Mia Casa, located at 12221 Harriet Tubman Highway, North Miami, FL 33161.

 

As reported by the Homeless Trust, the Blue Village property has been owned by the County since 1989 but has not been operational in recent times. The Homeless Trust indicated that on January 20, 2023, the Trust bought out a deed restriction on the property at a cost of approximately $4.59 million. The Homeless Trust competitively selected a design firm to renovate the facility from 112 beds to 190+ units and committed $6.5 million toward renovations. Per the Homeless Trust, design plans are being finalized and will be followed by renovations spanning approximately one (1) year.

 

The Homeless Trust also advised that on January 31, 2023, it finalized the purchase of Mia Casa for approximately $6.4 million, using County and State funding. The property is comprised of 120 beds.

 

At this phase of the MOU negotiation, the Administration has met with the Homeless Trust and discussed the following issues:

 

• Verification of property ownership status for both facilities (acquisition documentation/warranty deed to be provided by the Homeless Trust);
• Timeline for renovations at the Blue Village and Mia Casa properties;
• Target date or milestone to commence benchmark tracking (potentially once the Blue Village achieves Certificate of Occupancy for the forty-five (45) units and sooner for the ten (10) beds at Mia Casa);
• Timeline and milestones for disbursement of funds;
• Designation of units and beds for the City of Miami Beach via the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS);
• Responsibility of the Homeless Trust to bear cost and expenses toward repairs, maintenance and/or operations of the units/beds (facilities) post renovation;
• Reporting, review and/or approval process for third-party operators; and
• Discussion of redistribution of units/beds if additional properties are acquired by the Homeless Trust.

 

Although target goals/outcomes are still being negotiated, below are the proposed benchmark categories to be measured and tracked under the MOU:

 

• Occupancy Rate: Number of clients (individuals or households) served through placement to a unit or bed
• Housing Retention: Number of clients who do not return to homelessness one (1) year after placement to a unit or bed
• Income growth: Number of clients placed in permanent housing who obtain or increase income as a result of program participation.

 

The Office of Housing and Community Services will be responsible for administering the MOU and will work in partnership with the Homeless Trust to refer eligible clients (individuals and households) to the program. The attached draft MOU highlights the shared responsibilities between the City and the Homeless Trust to ensure successful outcomes. Once the MOU is fully negotiated, approved, and executed, the Administration will provide quarterly updates as part of the current Public Safety and Neighborhood Quality of Life Committee (PSNQLC) standing bi-monthly update item regarding homeless services and activity.

 

Fiscal Impact: $1 million from General Fund Reserves. Additional funds will be discussed at the March 27, 2023 City Commission meeting.