At its January 27, 2017 meeting, the Neighborhood and Community Affairs Committee held a discussion regarding the proposed levy of a one percent tax on food and beverage sales for the benefit of homeless and domestic violence services. Ron Book, Chair of the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust presented in support of the tax.
Motion 1 - After a lengthy discussion, the Commissioner Michael Grieco motioned to move the item to the Commission with an unfavorable recommendation regarding the tax levy. Commissioner Steinberg seconded the motion.
Two alternate motions were made subsequent to the Committee’s motion to move the one percent tax to Commission with an unfavorable recommendation:
Motion 2: Commissioner Steinberg made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez, to discuss the establishment of a multi-year contract with the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust to support the Trust’s goals. While the one percent tax levy was deemed as an inappropriate funding source, Commissioner Steinberg suggested that creative funding alternatives could be explored at the full Commission. The vote was 3 - 0 in favor of moving this item to the full Commission.
The Housing First approach being promoted by the Homeless Trust provides low barrier housing to chronically homeless individuals. The approach provides clients with direct access to Permanent Supportive Housing offering a variety of voluntary wrap-around services while enabling the client to continue with risky behaviors including drug use. The Administration has concerns with this approach:
* Clients provided with housing can theoretically continue requiring full program services indefinitely. Please note that program cost is currently $16,000 per year per client. Low demand, low barrier programming does not incentivize a client to actively pursue independence and reduce program reliance.
* Since clients are not required to accept services in conjunction with housing, the Administration feels that the program will not address our daytime homeless population. Clients in the program are allowed to continue the same behaviors and lifestyle choices they engaged in while living in the streets. The City's eGov homeless complaints overwhelmingly occur during daytime hours for activities such as panhandling which are not prohibited by the program.
The Administration would ask that, if the Commission considers committing funds to this endeavor, that it add the following conditions to any funding agreement:
1. The City would refer the clients to be served with City resources;
2. Clients served with City resources who are subsequently arrested in our City should be terminated from the program;
3. The amount of rent subsidy provided to clients must decrease by 30 percent of initial assistance in each subsequent year so as to encourage client transition to independence;
4. The Trust should provide service and efficacy data (including permanent transitions) for its clients served through the Lazarus Program which serves those homeless with mental illness; and
5. The Trust should open its Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) to enable the full view of consented clients' history so as to strengthen accountability and client engagement.
Motion 3: Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Micky Steinberg, to conduct a voter referendum (straw ballot) to elicit the community’s opinion regarding the levying of the proposed one percent food and beverage tax. The vote was 2 – 1 in favor of moving this item to the full Commission.