The City of Miami Beach is a 7.1 square mile island community located off the shore of Miami. Geographically, Miami Beach is divided into four sections, each with its own economic and housing characteristics: South Beach, a gentrifying area which contains the historic Art Deco District including hotels and apartment buildings, that caters to younger households that can afford higher rents; Middle Beach, a narrower stretch of land with a cluster of small offshore islands that together, hold most of Miami Beach's single-family homes; North Beach, a family-oriented residential area bordered by the Village of Surfside; and Normandy Isle, an island similar in housing character to Middle Beach.
For much of its recent history, Miami Beach has been characterized by its attractiveness as a vacation resort and by a standard of living that made it a destination of retirees from the northeastern states. Much of Miami Beach's housing stock was developed for these retirees' use, with a large proportion of the housing stock comprised of efficiency and one-bedroom apartments in multi-family buildings, to accommodate a thriving vacation/retirement community.
During the last twenty years, the City has experienced dramatic shifts in demographics from a predominantly elderly non-hispanic white population, to one which is now almost fifty percent low income hispanic. Despite these trends, Miami Beach has been experiencing an economic resurgence due to a combination of new leadership, the popularity of the Art Deco District and public and private development initiatives. While this revitalization bodes well for the future of Miami Beach, the City faces some critical challenges to maintain a balance in an ever-increasing ethnically diverse community.
The City of Miami Beach's Three Year Consolidated Plan established long-term housing and non-housing objectives, including a One-Year Action Plan which sets forth the funding allocations for $2,974,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, $1,212,000 in HOME Investment Partnership (HOME) funds, and $100,000 in Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) funds.
The Consolidated Plan was developed through the collaborative efforts of City staff, local and county-based nonprofit organizations, and the residents of the City. The City conducted interviews with elected City officials, non-profit organizations, for-profit organization, and private agencies involved in providing housing and other services to City residents.
The first public hearing on the proposed Consolidated Plan was held on March 7, 1995, to obtain citizen input on the needs within the community. The eleven member Community Development Advisory Committee (CDAC), spent over 40 hours in nine evening public meetings where they thoroughly reviewed and analyzed both CDBG and ESG Request for Proposals (RFP).
The Draft Consolidated Plan was made available for public review and comment for a 30-day comment period commencing June 12th. A second public hearing was held by the CDAC on June 27th, and two final public hearings were held before the City Commission on July 12th and July 26th. The City Commission approved the Consolidated Plan on July 26th, and it was submitted to HUD on August 15, 1995.
MAP 1 depicts points of interest in the jurisdiction.
The City of Miami Beach has a population of 92,639 according to the 1990 Census. This is a decline from the 1980 population level of 96,510. Population projections show the City returning to 96,000 in the year 2000. While there was a population decline from 1980 to 1990, the percentage of persons under the age of 44 nearly doubled, from 27.4% to 50.6% and the median age dropped from 65.3 in 1980 to 49.5 in 1990. The average household income in Miami Beach is $15,312. This is not surprising given Miami Beach's history as a retirement community and the predominance of the service sector jobs. The Hispanic population increased dramatically from 22.2 percent of the City's population in 1980 to 46.8 percent in 1990. One of the most dramatic changes has been the drop in median age from 65 years in 1980 to 44.5 years in 1990.
As of 1990, the City's median household and median family income figures are significantly below those of the County and the State of Florida. The percentage of the City's population living below poverty, increased from 17.7 percent in 1980 to 25.2 percent in 1990. Unemployment has also increased during this same period, from 5.9 to 8.9 percent. According to the most recent figures released in March, 1994, by the Florida Department of Labor and Employment Security, the City's unemployment rate now stands at 9.6 percent.
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.
The City's economy is based largely on tourism. Wholesale/retail trade and services represent 69% of all employment in Miami Beach. The total number of unemployed has dropped from 11.8% in 1993 to 9.6% in 1994. The City's largest employers are hospitals and hotels.
It is estimated that 35-40% of the City's housing stock needs some type of repairs to meet City codes, 50% of these units have minor repair issues while the remaining 45% have more major items which should be addressed. These repairs may range from replacing broken window screens to new roofs, and the replacement of major systems repairs (i.e. electrical and plumbing, etc.). The remaining 60% to 65% of the housing stock is in good condition and meets the local codes.
According to the 1990 Census, there are 49,305 occupied single- and multi-family housing units in Miami Beach. The majority are located in multi-unit buildings of 20 or more units. The median gross rent was $427 monthly, and the median house value was $191,900.
In 1990, the vacancy rate for units being marketed (as opposed to those being held off the market) was 12.6 percent. This high figure is misleading because it includes homes that are occupied on a seasonal basis. Immediately after Hurricane Andrew in 1992, the vacancy rates for housing, north of the storm area, fell to almost zero. With this shortage of units came an increase in rents. Currently, (1995) vacancy rates are increasing and rents are either stable or decreasing as more of the damaged or destroyed units are being replaced in other areas of the county. The replacement and new construction of rental units in other parts of the county has relived some of the shortage of housing felt after Hurricane Andrew.
The majority of the vacant units were rental units, particularly 0-1 bedroom units. Many of these units are in single-room occupancy hotels, and many other hotels which operate as unlicensed single-room occupancy facilities) providing affordable housing to up to 8,000 individuals in Miami Beach. The number of vacant units (10-15%) and the lack of vacant land indicates that a policy supporting the rehabilitation of existing units, rather than new construction, is the most appropriate for the City's housing efforts. The reconfiguration of existing smaller units into larger units is also a means of adapting the City's existing housing stock to its changing household size without the construction of new units.
Miami Beach's average household size is 1.88 persons per household up from 1.7 persons per household in 1980. One-half of the city's households are single-person households, and 30% are two-person households.
The total number of households who earn at or below 80% of the median income are 31,072 households which represent 63.1% of the total of 49,243 households.
43% of Miami Beach households are headed by an elderly person age 64 or older. Miami Beach's Consolidated Plan takes the needs of this significant population into account since over 80% of elderly renter households and 54% of elderly homeowner households are low income.
There are approximately 400 homeless persons in Miami Beach, the majority of which are single males. Services for the homeless are funded by the City's ESG monies and provided at facilities located on the mainland. An Assistant City Manager oversees a homeless intervention program.
The Miami Beach Housing Authority (MBHA) operates both rental assistance programs and elderly public housing. The MBHA owns two buildings, Rebecca Towers North and South, for a total of 400 elderly units.
The MBHA also operates the Section 8 program which has 2,508 certificates and vouchers to help persons pay rent in privately owned units throughout the City. There is a waiting list of over 4,500 persons or households with over one-half of these being elderly. The MBHA also administers 194 units of Section 8 substantial rehabilitation and 131 units of moderate rehabilitation. In addition, the MBHA operates a rental assistance program for elderly and handicapped persons using its own reserve funds.
There are other assisted housing developments owned by non-profits and for-profits at various locations in the City. Six of these, totaling 732 units, are elderly housing. Five developments receive Section 8 project based assistance for a total of 82 units.
There are eleven (11) licensed Adult Congregate Living Facilities (ACLFs) to serve the elderly and frail elderly. Various social service providers carry out programs aimed at providing health care, meals, rental assistance, etc., to lower income elderly.
In 1990, there were approximately 4,400 non-elderly individuals with a disability and/or a self-care limitation. The majority of persons with limitations were above the age of 64, and approximately 4,370 were between the ages of 16 and 64.
It is estimated by health care providers that over 22% of all AIDS cases in Dade County are found in the beaches area. Miami Beach has consistently been the second highest area in the county of reported AIDS cases.
Miami Beach is an island community which is almost completely developed. Much of the land that is available is zoned for commercial or multi-family uses. This shortage of land and higher density zoning makes the cost of land high. Constructing single-family or detached housing is not cost-effective in this environment. Rehabilitation of the existing multi-family properties appears to provide the more cost-effective approach to providing affordable housing.
The City of Miami Beach's Housing & Community Development Division is responsible for ensuring compliance with Federal, State, and Local Fair Housing regulations. In the past, the City has focused its efforts on addressing the needs of the users of housing (i.e. real estate companies, developers, home owners and condominium associates, etc.). To address this need, the Housing & Community Development Division has designed an expanded Education and Outreach program that would include a new and more proactive approach to Fair Housing issues. The City of Miami Beach adopted a Human Rights Ordinance on 12/2/92 which promotes fair housing through fair, orderly and lawful procedures without regards to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, handicap, marital status, familial status, or age.
The City of Miami Beach has reviewed the results of the pilot lead screening study conducted in Metro Dade County. Given the increased attention focused on lead-based paint (LBP) hazards -- most notably, through the passage of Title X of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992, the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act -- the City will consider plans to reduce LBP hazards in federally-assisted properties in its jurisdiction and plan to participate in upcoming Title X programs. The City will review its housing and rehabilitation standards against the Title X requirements once those regulations are published. All HOME and CDBG funded rehabilitation will follow Lead Based Paint Rules. The City supports applications from other entities for lead abatement funds as they are made available.
The following needs were identified through the Consolidated Plan planning process: to improve health, safety, welfare, recreational, and other opportunities; create and/or retain jobs; provide for affordable housing opportunities through repairs to existing housing; provide services for the homeless population and persons at-risk of becoming homeless; provide public services to low/moderate income residents; leverage federal dollars to encourage private development; ensure compliance with Equal Opportunity and Fair Housing Laws; remove architectural barriers; continue to provide planning and administrative support; discourage and/or minimize displacement and ensure adequate benefits; provide assistance as needed to threats to public health, safety, or welfare; eliminate slums and blighting conditions; encourage the preservation of historic structures; provide affordable child care services.
The City of Miami Beach's Housing & Community Development (H&CD) Division is the entity charged with carrying out the Consolidated Plan, and is the main source of information to other agencies and/or entities in administering and carrying out the goals of the Plan. The H&CD Division administers the CDBG, HOME, ESG, SHIP programs.
The City's view to the future of a viable community for all its citizens is built upon: the combination of job creation/retention activities, affordable housing efforts, services to low and moderate income persons, and infrastructure improvements. Towards this goal, the City will: implement the North Beach Area's Three Year Action Plan; assist homeless persons and those at-risk of becoming homeless; create and/or retain jobs; renovate commercial structures; preserve affordable housing through the rehabilitation of existing units with elderly households as the highest priority; provide a wide range of public services to those in need; rebuild infrastructure; provide recreational opportunities; expand community centers; make areas accessible to the handicapped; provide services to special needs population (i.e. elderly, disabled, etc.); work with the City's "educationally at-risk" youth; repair City parks; increase code enforcement activities in selected areas; and increase crime prevention and enforcement activities.
The City's long-term Housing & Community Development objectives are:
To improve health, safety, welfare, recreational, and other opportunities through the rehabilitation, construction, and/or expansion of public facilities and infrastructures within areas that have a concentration of low and moderate income persons.
To promote the economic development of distressed geographic areas and other sectors of the Miami Beach economy and to stimulate economic revitalization, neighborhood revitalization, commercial revitalization, job creation and/or retention primarily for low/moderate income individuals, and/or energy conservation.
To reduce the number of homeless and persons at-risk of becoming homeless by providing monies to groups providing services for homeless populations.
To provide public services for low and moderate income residents, through both City sponsored and outside agency social service programs.
To remove architectural barriers to the elderly, physically or mentally handicapped, and other persons with special needs.
To discourage and/or minimize the amount of permanent displacement.
To prevent and eliminate slums and blight and blighting conditions, and to alleviate existing detrimental conditions in the community through code enforcement, enhanced police protection, street lighting and drainage improvement and social services in selected CDBG target areas.
To encourage the retention of significant historic structures and/or further historic preservation efforts.
Priorities for affordable housing include: upgrading the existing housing stock thus increasing the supply of affordable housing and reducing housing cost burdens for low/moderate income households, improving the living environments of low/moderate income residents, assisting public housing residents to become more self-sufficient, and addressing the unique needs of large families, the elderly, and persons with disabilities.
The elderly have the greatest need in finding affordable housing, since 43% of Miami Beach households are headed by persons 64 years or older. The elderly in particular, are faced with cost burdens for housing expenses and as discussed earlier, face the greatest housing needs of any household type in Miami Beach.
The City is also emphasizing first-time homeownership opportunities.
Code Enforcement: A Code Compliance Officer will work in selected CDBG areas to ensure that housing conditions are improved.
Infrastructure Improvements: Streets and sidewalk improvements were given a high priority.
Public Service Needs: Areas of need include child care, hot meals, service to the elderly and handicapped, health care, employment training, youth services, transportation, crime awareness, displacement assistance, services to AIDS victims, and counseling services.
Historic Preservation: Renovation of historic properties in keeping with preservation standards and both housing and facade renovations.
Economic Development Needs: The creation of jobs is a high priority and the facade grants given to business will assist in both the creation and retention of jobs.
The City of Miami Beach's Anti-Poverty Plan is focused on the most vulnerable groups in the jurisdiction - primarily the 23,000 individuals living at or below the poverty line, the approximately 400 homeless individuals and families, and the over 2,700 households an individuals in publicly-assisted housing. The lowest-income households are generally those threatened with homelessness and persons in public housing are dependent upon public subsidies to maintain their own residences. In all, this segment of the population has the highest incident of poverty and it will see the most immediately benefit from a concentrated effort to increase economic opportunity in Miami Beach. Implementation of anti-poverty efforts is a cooperative effort between the City, the Housing Authority, and local community development agencies, the CHDO's and other non-profit services organizations.
The City of Miami Beach receives a number of federal formula entitlement grants including: the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME), Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) Program, Housing for People with AIDS (HOPWA) (county-wide), Public Housing Comprehensive Improvement Assistance Grant Program (CIAP), Section 202 Elderly, Section 811 Handicapped, and the State Assisted Incentive Loan Program (SAIL). The City also received funding from several State programs which provide funding for a number of housing programs such as the Federal Low income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), the State Apartment Incentive Loan (SAIL) Program.
The City receives SHIP monies for use in home ownership activities from the following local programs: Documentary Stamp Surtax, Dade County Housing Finance Agency Funds, One-Percent Food and Beverage Sales Tax, and the Inter-local Agreement with the Miami Beach Housing Authority.
Other sources of funding are from private for-profit and non-profit sources. Utilizing a public-private partnership with local lending institutions, the City has offered multi-family rehabilitation program through an interest subsidy program which reduces the interest rate on the private loans to six percent. Homes for South Florida (HSF), a private not-for-profit entity, is a consortium of banks formed by 17 local institutions which provide market and below market financing for owner-occupied and rental projects to local nonprofit community development corporation, for-profit developers in low-income areas, and lottery applicants.
The Housing & Community Development Division is responsible for the Consolidated Plan activities, but a variety of public and private organizations are involved in administering plan components. Also, the Consolidated Plan is developed with the assistance of the Community Development Advisory Committee (CDAC), an eleven member advisory body. Additionally, the City sought the input from the various CDC's, the CHDO, taxpayers and homeowner associations, the Chamber of Commerce, the Affordable Housing Coalition, health care and mental health care providers, developers, affordable housing providers, and homeless service providers.
MAP 5 and MAP 6 depict points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects.
The City's One Year-Action Plan is intended to provide a balanced level of funds that address both the community development and housing needs within the designated target areas, as well as on a city-wide basis. The City's CDBG funds are targeted as follows:
Thirty-two (32%) percent of the CDBG funds are targeted to rehabilitation and preservation activities which include both multi-family housing rehabilitation grant programs and commercial property development and commercial facade renovation grants for the north, middle and south beach commercial sectors. Relocation assistance is available for those persons who are temporarily relocated as a result of their rental units being renovated through the City's Multi-Family Rehabilitation Grant Program.
Thirteen (13%) percent of the funds are directed for acquisition/disposition activities that include the acquisition of scattered sites for a first-time homeownership program, and a site for use as a Hispanic Community Center.
Thirteen (13%) percent of the funds are also targeted for public facilities and street improvements which includes the renovation of a Police Athletic League facility to serve at-risk youth.
Fifteen (15%) percent of the CDBG funds are earmarked for public/social services that address: at-risk youth, provide services to the frail elderly, provide meals for homebound senior citizens and AIDS victims, subsidized child care, health services, food vouchers, prescription medication and educational scholarships.
Six (6%)percent of the funds are directed to Special Economic Development Activities that create and or retain jobs for low income artists and developmentally disabled persons.
The City is also funding a Code Compliance Officer to work specifically in the CDBG target areas in the North end of the City.
The City's HOME funds are targeted as follows:
One-third for homeownership opportunities for first-time homebuyers earning up to 80% of the median income, utilizing the existing stock of condominium and apartment units. One-third for the renovation of the existing multi-family housing stock for the elderly. The elderly population has been identified as the segment of the population with the greatest need. One-third for the renovation of the existing housing stock for other low/moderate income persons/families.
The City's CHDO will receive a set-aside of 46% of the City's HOME funds (41% percent for projects and 5% for CHDO operating expenses). The balance of the HOME funds will be put out on a competitive Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) for not-for profit and for-profit developers.
Almost all of the City's Consolidated Plan activities will occur in the designated CD Target Areas which include: the Flamingo Target Area south of Dade Boulevard; the southern one-half of Normandy Isle; and the north shore area north of 67th Street. The City's housing programs are eligible city-wide, with an emphasis on those buildings located within the target areas. The northern and southern portions of the City contain the largest number of the multi-family structures and the highest concentrations of low/moderate income families. The center of the island is primarily middle- to upper-income single-family residential.
The Housing & Community Development (H&CD) Division is the lead agency responsible for implementing all CDBG, HOME and ESGP projects and activities. The H&CD Division works with the following sub-recipient agencies and City departments: Miami Beach Development Corporation, the North Beach Development Corporation, the South Florida Art Center, Log Cabin Enterprises, Inc., Miami Beach Police Athletic League, ASPIRA of Florida, Inc., Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami, Inc., Community Council for Jewish Elderly, Jewish Vocational Services, Cure AIDS Now, Inc., Stanley C. Myers Community Health Center, Douglas Gardens Community Mental Health Center, Better Way of Miami, Inc., Aleph Child Development Center, Miami Beach Rainbow Child Care, St. John's Child Care Center, Ayuda, Inc., Little Havana Activities and Nutrition Centers of Dade County, Inc., Unidad of Miami Beach, Dade County Public Schools, Mt. Sinai Medical Center, South Shore Hospital, and the City of Miami Beach's Public Works Department, Police Department, Recreation Culture and the Parks Department.
The City's primary goal is to upgrade the existing housing stock and provide decent, safe and sanitary affordable rental housing. Elderly households are the group with the greatest housing need, since they comprise a significant portion of the City's population and are the group that is most cost burdened, paying over 50% of their income for housing. There is also a need to reconfigure the existing housing to accommodate families with children, and to renovate rental units for certain special needs populations including persons living with AIDS.
The City's second priority is to provide homeownership opportunities to persons who earn at or below 80% of the median income, by renovating the existing stock of condominiums and apartments.
Shirley Taylor-Prakelt
Director, Housing and Community Development
1700 Convention Center Drive
Miami Beach, FL 33139
(305) 673-7260
