Metro-Dade County is strategically located in an area that by default makes it an important hub of international trade and commerce. Metro-Dade County is also a place of contrasts. It has the second greatest financial center in the country but also includes the Country's fourth poorest city. Almost one out of three people in Miami is poor; in Dade County one out of six. While regional employment has grown 21 percent in a decade, unemployment among youth exceeds 20 percent. This summary of the Consolidated Plan offers County residents an overview of the County's need assessment to address these and other problems, a strategic plan for addressing the needs from 1995 to 1997 and a one-year action plan for use of Fiscal Year 1995 HUD funding.
The Action Plan identifies how HUD FY 1995 funding and related funding will be used. Total dollars available to carry out the Action Plan are $26,333,000; $25,165,000 of which are Federal funds. Over 160 projects are identified in the Plan.
Extensive citizen participation efforts were made to involve residents, especially low, very-low, and extremely -low-income persons, in the development of a unified vision for change, through a total of 213 meetings. Meetings involved in other efforts also contributed to compiling the vision for the County.
Community Development Advisory Committees also served various target areas to identify neighborhood needs. Copies of the plan were made available for comment at the Metro-Dade Office of Community Development and public libraries. Four public hearings were also held.
In 1990, the County had a population of 1,937,194. Since that time the population has increased approximately 70,000 people. About one third is from natural increase and about two-thirds immigration, mostly foreign. From 1995 through 2000, the County is expected to grow by another 200,000 persons, In 1993, there were 424,269 housing units, 66.1 percent of which were owner occupied and 33.9 percent renter. In income groups with less than 30 percent of the median, the split is 60/40 renter to owner. Over a third of the renters are very-low-income. Hispanics comprise 39.3% of the very-low-income households and blacks almost 28 %, thus almost two-thirds of this income class are made up of two minorities.
A little over a quarter of owners of housing are low-income (below 80 percent of the median family income) while the renter figure is over 54 percent. Over one third of the renters are very-low-income (below 50 percent of the median family income. Based on 1990 Census data, potential housing assistance needs of the County are extensive. The data shows the problems to be most serious among the Very-Low-Income Renter, Related Households and to a lesser extent owners, other than elderly in this same income class. The most serious implications effect 27,000 renter and 17,600 owner households. There are high percentages of housing problems throughout the Very-Low-Income category and for that matter, among the Other Low-Income and Moderate-Income groups as well. Numbers of households by income subgroups are:
Almost half of the renters are in the Small related household type, most likely young couples with or without their first child. Almost 80 percent have some housing problem but the cost burden declines from the previous category. Overcrowding also appears to be a serious deficiency.
In 1990, there were 469,256 units of year round housing in Dade County, with 148,147 units of rental housing and 275,826 units of owner occupied. Approximately 45,283 units were vacant. The single-family, multi-family mix changed only slightly between 1980 and 1990. In 1980 it was 65.8 SF/34.2 MF while in 1990 the mix was 64.5 SF/35.5 MF by percentage. This shift to more multi-family was also accompanied by a proportional decline in larger bedrooms which is leading to overcrowding. In 1980, 30,396 units were overcrowded while in 1990, 60,467 were, an increase of almost 100%. Part of the reason is that in the three lowest rent categories, less than 10% of the available units were two or three bedroom, while the top three rent categories contain over 40 %. In 1980, 44% of the vacant units were for sale or for rent while in 1990, 49% were in that category. The remainder of the vacant units are second homes held off the market.
Over 56.5% of the housing stock has been built since the 1970s; 61.5% of the rental units and 52% for the owner occupied. This implies the units are structurally sound and have modern electrical and plumbing features.
The 1990 Census found that median home values had gone up to $88,900, a 51.4% increase over the $58,700 median in 1980. Median gross rent of $571 in 1990 had increased 79% over the $319 monthly median in 1980. In 1993, it was estimated that to pay a monthly rent of $500, one would need an annual earning of $20,000 if 30% of the earning was to be used on housing, thus suggesting that a significant number of low-income renters in Dade County can not afford average rental housing. While the number of affordable rental units increased 4.35% from 1980 to 1990, the number of very-low-income rental households rose by 19.1%. Since the cost of housing increased only 49.3% in the decade while the Consumer Price Index increased 58.0%, the problem of affordability is more likely to be insufficient incomes than higher housing costs.
Hurricane Andrew resulted in a loss of approximately 47,000 housing units in Dade County with dislocation of more than 100,000 persons. About half were single family homes with an additional 3,400 mobile homes. Losses were concentrated in the lower priced units. In 1994, about 75% of the lost units were returned to a habitual condition, with approximately 12,180 units uninhabitable.
The number of households devoting an excessive share of their income to housing is likely to increase. Further doubling up is expected, especially due to the flow of immigrants. Affordability is primarily a function of income levels, since housing costs are not out of line. with other metropolitan areas.
Various estimates of homelessness for Dade County range from 6,000 in 1991 to 8,000 in 1994. The Dade County Commission's Task Force on Homelessness in 1993 estimated 3,900 homeless individuals plus another 2,300- 2,600 homeless persons in families. Their characteristics are estimated to include:
Another earlier study identified the following needs of the homeless:
A study in May, 1994 estimated that there are 599 emergency beds provided by the public and private sectors in the County, with 355 targeted to single men. Only a limited number of beds are available for families although they constitute almost 40% of the homeless population. Approximately 2,500 permanent housing units are needed but almost every sponsor faces community opposition. Other agencies provide services such as meals. Approximately 18 congregate meal sites serve over 1,500 meals daily.
The City of Miami, as the largest city in Dade County, has been designated to administer the Federal Housing Opportunities for Persons With Aids (HOPWA) Program funding on behalf of the County and the entitlement cities of Miami, Miami Beach, Hialeah, Homestead, and North Miami. As of May 31, 1994, 12,341 cases of aids have been reported in the metropolitan statistical area. The breakdown by race is: 48% black, 21% white, 31% hispanic. By sex it is 80% male and 20% female.
The Public Housing Authority for Dade County owns over 12,000 units of public housing, with a waiting list of approximately 3,300 persons. Approximately 80 percent qualify for a Federal preference. The waiting for entrance is estimated between two and three years.
Dade County's Special Housing Programs Department administers an allocation of 4,929 Section 8 Certificates and Vouchers plus 5,400 units of Section 8 project based assistance units including moderate rehabilitation, new construction and substantial rehabilitation programs. In addition, they have an allocation of 6,862 Emergency two year housing vouchers designed to assist families who were victims of Hurricane Andrew. There are 4,059 applicants on the Certificate/Voucher waiting list and 5.222 on the Moderate Rehabilitation waiting list.
Homes and apartments built before 1978, prior to reduction of lead in paint for residential purposes, are at-risk of the structures containinglead-based paint. Paint flakes and dust contaminated with lead are the major causes of lead poisoning in children. Nearly 286,000 housing units in Dade County may contain lead-based paint and nearly half are occupied by low-and very-low-income individuals. A 1992 pilot study of school children in Dade County found that 12% of the school children had blood levels above the Center's for Disease Control safe limit of 10 micrograms per deciliter of whole blood. The County Public Health Unit is now conducting an environmental investigation on children with lead levels above 20 micrograms/deciliter. Public Housing units with families are also being tested.
A multitude of support services are needed to meet the needs of the residents identified above. The Housing and Community Development Strategy and Action Plan illustrate the supporting needs, most of which are assisted through the Community Development Block Grant Program.
High priority needs identified through the citizen participation process included single and multi-unit housing rehabilitation, new construction of owner and rental housing, public services infrastructure improvements and economic development.
Specific objectives are new construction of single-family housing, rehabilitation of single-family units, rehabilitation of multi-unit housing, creation of jobs, public services for youth and senior citizens, tree planting, installation of water lines, and installation of sewer lines within the next three years. Resource allocation will be concentrated in Target Areas, Study Areas and eligible block groups. Block groups where the median income is less than 30% of the Dade County median income and where there are high poverty and unemployment will have high priorities.
Federal resources will include CDBG, HOME. HOPWA,ESG, DOE Weatherization Program, Public Housing Comprehensive Grant Program, HOPE 1 and HOPE 3. Other resources include a number of State and local incentives.
The primary activity will be implementation of the Dade County Community Homeless Plan, which calls for the development of the infrastructure of supportive services connected to emergency shelter, transitional and permanent housing that make up the "continuum of care". Affecting these decisions will be the outcome of what happens to persons at-risk of becoming homeless when FEMA Hurricane Andrew assistance ends and those who doubled up for shelter must leave overcrowded conditions. Also the two-year Section 8 assistance will also soon end. Another factor that can not be measured easily is the waves of immigrants who are often homeless. Emergency and transitional shelter beds are to be provided along with a homeless assistance center. Federal, State and local assistance will be used in meeting the needs.
Short-term and long-term objectives (high priority):
Medium priority objectives include:
Priorities are identified for 13 neighborhoods based on the following needs:
Housing, homeless, public facility, infrastructure, public service, and economic development. The priorities reflect those expressed through citizen participation in the development of the plan.
The Action Plan provides for FY 1995 HUD assistance in the following amounts:
The following related funds will be used in conjunction with the planning effort:
Total: $26,333,000
Illustrative larger projects for 1995 include:
MAP 2 depicts points of interest and low-moderate income areas.
MAP 3 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, and minority concentration levels.
MAP 4 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, and unemployment levels.
MAP 5 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects.
TABLE (without associated map) provides information on the project(s).
