At the May 15, 2024, Commission meeting, at the request of Commissioner Fernandez, the Mayor and Commission referred item C4 E to the Public Safety and Neighborhood Quality of Life Committee (PSNQLC) directing the Administration to explore and provide options for establishing a nighttime Drop-In Center in Miami Beach. 

The referral directed the Administration to explore an existing City facility to provide amenities such as showers, bathrooms, and access to Homeless Outreach staff for shelter placements during the evening hours. The space could provide support not only for the homeless but also for vulnerable populations like victims of abuse, those escaping human trafficking and the LGBTQ population, providing further inclusivity and comprehensive care for all members of our community.

The City’s Office of Housing and Community Services’ Homeless Outreach Services Division operates a walk-in center for persons experiencing homelessness located at 771 17 Street, Monday - Friday 7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. The caseworkers staffing the walk-in center serve persons seeking family reunification, identification assistance, shelter services, and other referrals.

Additionally, the City’s Mobile Outreach Team canvasses the entire City identifying individuals living in places not meant for human habitation to offer services. Collectively, the Division serves 30-35 persons daily, by not only offering the referral services previously mentioned, but also coordinating with partners in the Continuum of Care (CoC) to effectively address the specific needs of the person seeking guidance and support.

Existing Resources

The Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust provides funding to several community providers within the CoC to offer various resources to persons experiencing homelessness. For example, hot meals and showers are typically provided to unsheltered individuals at the following locations in Miami-Dade County:

• Camillus House Day Center, 1603 NW 7^th Avenue, Miami, FL 33136
  Meals: Monday - Friday at 8:30 a.m., Tuesday and Thursday at 12:30 p.m. 

          Showers: Monday-Friday at 6:30 a.m. 

• Miami Rescue Mission, (services available for homeless males) 2020 NW 1st Avenue, Miami, FL 33127
  Meals: Monday - Friday from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. 

          Showers: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 2:00 p.m.- 5:00 p.m.

• The Missionaries of Charity of Mother Teresa (services are available for homeless women and children)

          724 NW 17 street Miami, FL 33136
          Meals: every day, except Thursday from 10 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Currently, there are no nighttime drop-in centers in South Florida. However, there are two (2) non-profits in Broward County offering shower services.

Showering Love is a faith-based provider offering showers, clean clothing, laundry services and hygiene services at various churches and municipal facilities at various locations  from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. throughout Broward County. Showering Love provides services to families, women, men and children experiencing homelessness, with a special focus on veterans. They operate two (2) ADA- compliant buses equipped with laundry facilities, medical examination rooms, and a barber station. 

HOPE South Florida, a faith-based provider, operates a mobile shower unit in Fort Lauderdale, FL throughout the week 9:00 am. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The 29.5-foot-long air conditioned and heated trailer is equipped with six (6) private showers, six (6) bathrooms and six (6) changing rooms, offering Broward County’s homeless a shower and personal hygiene essentials. The mobile shower unit rotates between shared meal sites. On average, it dispenses 1,200 showers a year.

Preliminary Study

The Administration has contemplated various possibilities for the establishment of a Drop-In Center based on the preliminary information outlined in the Committee referral, and further direction is needed to properly determine the logistics related to the implementation and its fiscal impact.

1.     Mobile Facility- The City contracts with various vendors that could potentially rent a trailer equipped with showers and bathrooms. The mobile facility would require staffing, enhanced security staffing, daily maintenance (cleaning/disinfecting services), and weekly or bi-weekly pumpouts.

2.     Existing City-owned Facility- The City can potentially identify an existing City-owned public facility to be converted to a nighttime Drop-In Center after regular operations (9:00 p.m.- 5:00 a.m.) This option would also require enhanced security staffing and/ or Miami Beach Police officers, daily maintenance, enhanced City staffing and support.