Homeless Camp on Virginia Key?
Last Thursday (July 28th), the City Commission listed Discussion Item DI.2 regarding the homeless Transformation and Transition Zone Program. To the surprise of many, the discussion item turned into an approved ordinance. The Commission meeting is available via YouTube, and you can watch the morning portion here and the afternoon discussion here.
The Transformation and Transition Zone Program was shared on Tuesday night as a solution to house the homeless population, and it listed the Virginia Key Parcel as an optimal location. The program faced immediate objection from residents who believed Virginia Key was the wrong location.
In response to the Commission's decision and the community's outcry, Commissioner Regalado and WPLG Local10 Correspondent Louis Aguirre hosted a zoom call on August 4th to address the reasons why they oppose the idea.
Miami- Dade County Mayor Cava and community leaders: Ron Book, Carlos Hernandez, Pete Gomez, Roy Coley, and Josenrique Cueto came together to echo the notion that Virginia Key is the wrong location for the temporary housing camp.
The first challenge begins with Miami-Dade County. In 1982, the county deeded the land to the city with the following restrictions as stated on the deed.
“The master plan included campground facilities for recreational vehicles and tent camping, ball fields, coastal protection areas, a lagoon preserve for swimming and limited fishing, and a tree nursery to buffer the park from the sewage treatment plant. The deed required that the property be used for public park purposes and kept open to the public, and that the City provide maintenance and service equal to that previously provided by the County. Additionally, any changes to the master plan would have to be approved by the County. In the event the restrictions are violated, title could revert to the County.”
Regalado said: "I'm not against some of the ideas that the City is proffering, but I am completely against the location that they have chosen. There is a soft no and a hard no, and I want the record to reflect a hell no!"
Secondly, this plan jeopardized the 41 million dollars given to Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust through HUD, says Ron Book, who was on the call. The Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust was awarded more than $41,000,000 by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (U.S. HUD) as part of its FY 2021 Continuum of Care (CoC) Competition. The CoC grants provide funding to help individuals and families experiencing homelessness move into permanent housing with access to supportive services, with the overarching goal of long-term stability. Last year, with the help of U.S. HUD funding, the Homeless Trust placed 7,635 formerly homeless adults and children into permanent housing.
Additionally, Ron explained that tiny homes must have individual kitchens, running water, plumbing, and electricity. Sheds are not small homes. Tiny homes are a great solution, but they must be in community-compatible neighborhoods to be considered a housing development.
Next, Carlos Hernandez, DERM - Wastewater Permitting Chief, shared numerous concerns when reviewing the temporary housing camp as it relates to the well-being of the ecosystem. Miami-Dade County Environmental Resources Management implements monitoring, education, restoration, regulatory, and land management programs to protect water quality, drinking water supply, air quality, and natural resources. Carlos mentioned the following concerns:
The infrastructure proposed septic tanks which we are trying to correct and avoid septic tanks.
Construction and sediment runoff could damage an already sensitive ecosystem.
Mr. Hernandez and his team would have a say in granting permits and are highly hesitant that it will work.
Other issues that neighbors raised were the overall Safety of the population in an inhospitable location:
Virginia Key is in Zone A Evacuation Zone. The area is highly vulnerable to hurricanes as it is immediately next to the ocean. Virginia Key is one of the first places where storm evacuations are mandated.
Emergency services are far from the location; reaching the nearest hospital takes at least 15 to 20 minutes.
Fire hydrants are not available should a fire break out.
The nearest bus stop is two miles away. The nearest hospital is 6 miles away by road.
The area is barren to residents without extreme amounts of development and severity of gnats and mosquitoes.
The community meeting presented a strong case and numerous reasons why Virginia Key is not the right location for this homeless camp. What will the City of Miami do? If you want to learn more, follow the links below and raise your voice by getting involved in City politics.
Update: The Plan for the Homeless Camp at Virginia Key takes a halt, and Mayor Suarez asks Miami Dade County for funding and help. Watch the video on the link below.
https://www.facebook.com/CityOfMiamiGov/videos/900733677983405/