Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announces $500,000,000 from county's 2023 budget will be used to tackle housing crisis
MIAMI – Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced on Monday that $500,000,000 from the county's 2023 budget will be used to tackle the housing crisis. The money will be invested into housing programs. One of them, the "HOMES Plan."
H - O - M - E - S, it's now an acronym for a new plan geared towards helping thousands of people in Miami-Dade County.
"It's just going to be like a little relief for everybody. Because right now everybody is in the same boat," says Gema Londono, a renter.
'H' is for housing preservation.
"We're working to preserve existing and affordable housing and to help low-income homeowners make their homes more energy efficient," says Levine-Cava.
'O' stands for opening new doors through innovative programs like the Workforce Housing and Incentive Program that will give property owners funding in exchange for maintaining rent prices. This part of the program will prioritize housing for essential frontline workers.
"For so long our firefighters, our police officers, our teachers, and custodians, they've all been left out of the conversation. We're now finally able to address the workforce housing shortage," explains Kionne McGhee, a Miami-Dade County Commissioner.
'M' is for mortgage and utilities relief. Levine-Cava says up to $1500 will be given to thousands of families who are behind on bills. Gema Londono, a renter on Miami Beach, knows how stressful life can be when you're short on cash.
"$100 is not enough for groceries, for electricity, for phones, for gas. The rent is going up," she says.
After brain surgery, her life changed dramatically, and the bills piled up.
"It's like you're over here working and making money and then from one second to the other that's it. You can't drive, you can't work, you can do nothing," says Londono.
Letter 'E' in the HOMES Plan will expand the ERAP or Emergency Rental Assistance Program to help more families qualify. Lastly, letter 'S' stands for securing new housing.
"We have a number of affordable housing projects that have been delayed because of supply chain issues and costs," says Levine-Cava.
She adds, providing additional funding to those projects will immediately bring new units on the market as soon as they're completed. The mayor says they're working to bring relief and long-term solutions to the people of Miami-Dade County.
The housing crisis is leaving many desperate for help. That's why CBS News Miami wants to share your stories to show the crisis you're in or how you navigated the system. We will highlight these issues and work to get answers and solutions. Send us an email at housing@cbs.com.
