The Glades Region, Microcosm of Need and a Ray of Hope

Belle Glade is open for business and seeking opportunities for sustainable development

Three small communities in South Florida have a lot to say in terms of need and hope. Geographically part of South Florida in Palm Beach County, their soul is rural and they consider themselves part of the heartland, with its Deep South culture, far removed from the glitz and affluence of Florida's coastal regions.

Its mineral rich dark soil once earned the region the "winter vegetable capital" name. Located in the vicinity of Lake Okeechobee the cities of Belle Glade, Pahokee and South Bay should be associated with sustainability and locally grown products. It should also bring to mind everything sweet in the country, since almost 50% of the sugarcane in the nation is grown in the area. Instead, poverty, unemployment, and missed opportunities for economic and housing development reflect their situation.

But they are sturdy. Belle Glade's sign at the entrance of the city says "Her Soil is Her Future" and the heart of what keeps hope alive is the water quality of Lake Okeechobee, finally being addressed by the restoration of the Everglades. An additional important factor is that residents, elected officials and advocates all agree that something needs to be done to improve the quality of life and the future of the Glades.

HUD Miami Field Office Director Armando Fana, South Bay Mayor Shirley Walker-Turner, Pahokee Mayor James Sasser and Belle Glade Mayor Steve Wilson at the Glades Summit

As part of the conversation and to celebrate Fair Housing Month, Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County, Inc. convened a Glades Summit on April 24 at Belle Glade State College. The daylong Summit included panels and workshops on topics such as Future Housing in the Glade, Preparing Today's Workforce for the Future, Equity in Education, Improving the Quality of Life in the Glades, Creating Economic Opportunities through HUD's Section 3 Program, and a Business Leaders Roundtable. Presenters included representatives from USDA, Palm Beach County, Southeast Florida Planning Council, Workforce Alliance, Palm Beach State College, Florida Equal Justice Center, Lake Okeechobee Regional Economic Alliance, Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County, Senior McCurdy Housing Corporation, Brumback Health Center, the 1000 Friends of Florida non-profit, Sugarland Wind, Suffolk Construction and HUD's Miami staff. The event attracted approximately 175 attendees.

There is another sign of hope that local leaders are beginning to work together to plan for a better future of the Glades. On November 20, 2011, HUD awarded $1,980,504 to Palm Beach County under the Sustainable Communities Challenge Grant. This grant will be used in order to develop a Glades Region Master Plan that will provide a blueprint on improvements to infrastructure, transportation, land use and housing policies in the Glades Region. The Glades Region Master Plan will begin to set the groundwork for a planned inland port in the Glades that will provide significant opportunities for sustainable economic development. The HUD Miami Field Office encourages all Glades stakeholders and interested parties to be involved in this planning process, which requires public input and participation. More information on the planning process will be provided through Palm Beach County's Department of Economic Sustainability (http://www.pbcgov.com/des/).

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