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Miami Herald
10-07-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
How a special Miami partnership on homelessness helped us reach an 11-year low
As the nation grapples with rising rates of homelessness, Miami-Dade's unique alliance between Chapman Partnership and the Homeless Trust stands out as a national model. According to the region's latest Homeless Census report, Miami has the lowest rate of homelessness per 100,000 people of any major U.S. city. In fact, the number has dropped to an 11-year low. It wasn't always like this. In 1993, more than 8,000 people in Miami were living on the streets. Now, that number is just under 900. This sharp decline didn't happen by chance but through a coordinated system that Ron Book, chair of the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust, calls 'the greatest public-private partnership that could possibly exist.' In 1992, then-Gov. Lawton Chiles created a task force of business and civic leaders with a singular mission: End homelessness in Miami-Dade. That task force was led by the late Alvah H. Chapman Jr., CEO of Knight-Ridder and publisher of the Miami Herald. Chapman Partnership was formed in 1995 as the operating partner of the newly created Homeless Trust, managing two Homeless Assistance Centers in downtown Miami and Homestead. This fall, Chapman Partnership will celebrate its 30th anniversary. Now serving over 1,000 individuals daily, it is the largest emergency housing provider in South Florida. At Chapman Partnership, we understand that homelessness is a symptom of deeper systemic issues. That's why our mission extends beyond shelter and meals. Through workforce training, financial literacy, medical, behavioral and spiritual wellness programs, we tackle the root causes of homelessness and provide individuals with the tools and support needed to achieve long-term self-sufficiency. We're proud of the results. Despite a severe shortage of affordable rental housing, more than 1,800 people transitioned from our campuses into permanent homes last year alone. Through partnerships with Miami-Dade Public Schools, Miami Dade College and CareerSource South Florida, our clients have access to courses both on and off campus. They gain valuable skills, training and certifications that help them secure employment. Each year, our Employment and Education Specialists place over 500 clients in jobs with an average hourly wage of $17.76 — 26% higher than Florida's current minimum wage. But our impact isn't just about numbers. It's about people. Many are surprised to learn that over 45% of our clients are families. Currently, Chapman Partnership is the only emergency shelter in Miami-Dade that allows entire families to stay together in the same room. We also serve a large number of elderly individuals, many of whom have lost spouses or face health challenges that make independent living difficult. The face of homelessness is more familiar than most people realize. Here's an example of how we help people and families: Paula was once thriving in a nursing career with a happy family. After the tragic loss of her husband to cancer, she lost her job and became homeless. Working with our employment team, Paula reinstated her nursing certification. Her young daughter, with support from the Family Resource Center, began to excel in school. Within just five months, Paula secured a job at a local hospital and moved into her own home. Her story is just one of 145,000 we've supported in the past 30 years. Our success is rooted in the deep civic pride of Miami. Ending homelessness has been made possible by extraordinary leaders and funders from the public, private and nonprofit sectors. Homelessness doesn't affect only a few — it impacts all of us. We view our work as essential to the health of our local economy. The lower street homelessness stays, the more tourism grows and businesses thrive. Moving forward, continuing to invest in Alvah H. Chapman's vision that 'no one sleeps on the streets' is both a moral and economic imperative. Scott Hansel is president and CEO of the Chapman Partnership in Miami.
Miami Herald
30-06-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
It's time for Miami Beach commission to shoulder its responsibilities on homeless
On Friday, the Miami Beach City Commission will hold a second vote on a development agreement for a proposed luxury condo complex in South Beach. If approved, the plan would result in the shuttering of Bikini Hostel, a hostel across the street that currently houses more than 100 homeless people, a possibility that has revived the debate about the city's questionable treatment of homeless people. This is the bill's second reading, and if the previous 6-1 vote is any indication, the approval is all but certain. But the vote is more than a development deal in the works; it's an indication of how much responsibility the city will — or won't — shoulder for homelessness issues that face all of Miami-Dade County. Last November, the commission voted to rescind a question on the ballot that would have imposed a 1% food and beverage tax to fund homeless and domestic violence services. More than 20,000 residents had already cast ballots during early voting when the tax question was removed. Had the measure passed, the tax would've applied to businesses that sold alcohol for consumption on-site and whose annual revenue exceeded $400,000, with the money going to the Homeless Trust, a county agency that provides homelessness and domestic violence services countywide. Miami Beach has contributed lump sums totaling $10 million over the past two fiscal years to the Homeless Trust and has agreed to pay up to $5 million annually beginning in year 2026 through 2039. But all of Miami-Dade's municipalities already levy the food and beverage tax, with the exception of Surfside and Miami Beach. It's only fair that Miami Beach do the same to address a problem that doesn't stop at the city's borders. The Homeless Trust relocated homeless individuals to Bikini Hostel shortly after the commission removed the tax measure from the ballot. Was it retaliation? Ron Book, chairman of the Homeless Trust, told the Miami Herald Editorial Board that negotiations with Bikini Hostel had begun '90 days prior to the referendum being taken off the ballot' and that the timing was nothing more than a coincidence. Now the commission, under the guise of the development deal, will be able to evict about 100 homeless people from Miami Beach by tearing down the hostel. The Miami Herald previously reported that the Trust will have a plan to resettle the hostel's homeless. 'No city can be exempt from the work of ending homelessness,' said Victoria Mallette, executive director of the Homeless Trust. 'Especially a city that shoulders so many unsheltered homeless.' Commissioner Alex Fernandez, who voted to approve the deal in the first vote, acknowledged the fundamental issue: 'We don't have facilities in Miami Beach to help the homeless.' The city does have a Homeless Outreach program, he noted, saying it's a 'model to address homelessness that others have traditionally looked to replicate nationally.' The hostel, he added, 'isn't an appropriate site' in part because homeless people need 'access to services that provide a continuum of care.' The Homeless Trust says the hostel's residents do have access to care — at the hostel. 'There is a full complement of support at the hostel. We have multiple entities there on a daily basis, helping move people through the continuum,' Mallette said. One commissioner, Laura Dominguez, has another idea for the Bikini Hostel: to designate it as affordable housing. On Wednesday, commissioners referred that proposal to the Public Safety Committee to be heard on September 10. If the city won't allow homeless residents at the hostel, at least Dominguez's idea would preserve the property for sorely needed affordable housing. Friday's vote, when it's likely the development will be approved, won't end homelessness on Miami Beach. It will merely displace it. And sadly, that's exactly what some commissioners seem to want. Click here to send the letter.
CBS News
11-06-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Miami Beach moves forward with plan to replace Bikini Hostel shelter with high-rise, park
A Miami Beach hostel currently serving as a shelter for more than 100 unhoused people could be demolished by the fall, after city commissioners advanced a development deal that would allow a high-rise and potential park to replace the site. City of Miami Beach leaders held a special meeting to discuss the future of the Bikini Hostel, located on West Avenue, which has housed homeless residents since last November. City officials told a developer during the meeting that if they purchased the hostel property across the street from their own project site at 1250 West Avenue, they could proceed with the planned high-rise. "We're making sure this is in the best interest of our residents on Miami Beach and that's the only consideration," said Mayor Steven Meiner. The developer would be required to clear the hostel of residents by September 15 and either convert the property into a $2 million park or hand it over to the city if the park is deemed unnecessary. Homeless Trust blasts move, warns of mass displacement The Miami-Dade Homeless Trust criticized the plan, warning it could displace more than 100 people currently residing at the hostel. "Once it became convenient to close the Bikini Hostel and move the homeless that are sheltered there off the beach, they jumped to sell zoning in exchange for that," said Homeless Trust Chairman Ron Book. Book also said Miami Beach is not doing enough to support regional homelessness solutions. "Miami Beach is taking the position that they don't have a homeless problem and unlike the 33 other cities in Miami-Dade County, that they should shoulder any responsibility for helping to end homelessness in our community," he said. City, hostel owners: Transition plan in place Meiner defended the city's record on homelessness, stating, "Miami Beach is the only city in Miami-Dade County that offers a full-service homeless outreach team. You could walk in and get a range of services." He added that the city wants assurance the Homeless Trust won't set up another shelter elsewhere in Miami Beach. "To make sure we have comfort level that we have that the Homeless Trust is not going to turn around and do this in another location," Meiner said. In a statement to CBS News Miami, the owners of the Bikini Hostel said they remain committed to avoiding forced displacement. "Our clients… have remained committed to ensuring that no one forcibly displace the 150 previously unhoused individuals who have been welcomed by and currently reside, at the Bikini Hostel," attorney Courtney Caprio of Caldera Law said. "The owners… hope to use part of the proceeds to purchase a new facility that will continue to provide housing for those individuals and others experiencing hardship." Next steps The agreement is set to go before the Miami Beach City Commission for a second reading on June 25.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bills that would give more power to Broward health districts are going nowhere — this year
With less than two weeks left in Florida's Legislative session, proposed bills that would have given sweeping new powers to Broward County's public health districts have no chance of advancing. The bills would have allowed Broward County's two taxpayer-supported hospital districts — Broward Health and Memorial Healthcare System — to go into a for-profit or not-for-profit business together without fear of violating state or federal antitrust laws. Neither the House version (HB 1253) nor the Senate version (SB 1518) of the health district bills were heard by a committee, which is required before they can move to the full House and Senate for debate and a vote. Only a bill that passes both chambers is sent to the Governor for consideration. In Tallahassee and Broward County, the bills had strong opposition. Close to 1,800 Memorial Healthcare System employees, physicians, and residents signed an online petition expressing their objection. Additionally, competitor HCA Florida, which has five hospitals in Broward County, hired a lobbyist in Tallahassee to oppose the proposed bills. The health districts had lobbyists pushing for the bills, including Ron Book, who said the bills are needed so the Broward health districts can compete in the changing marketplace. On Wednesday, Book said, 'The bills are largely not in play right now, but nothing is dead until it's dead. Sometimes it takes more than one session to pass something.' Added Book: 'The enemy of Broward taxpayers is HCA. They think they should be the only ones who have the ability to compete, irrespective of the quality of healthcare the two districts provide, and regardless of people's ability to pay. The districts are the most complete providers of healthcare in the community and when do not allow them to compete together, you've done nothing but hurt the community, and that is what HCA is doing.' Broward is the only county in Florida with two public health districts and a mandate to care for all patients regardless of their ability to pay. Within the county, Broward Health's district is roughly north of Griffin Road and Memorial's is south. Sen. Bryan Avila, R-Hialeah, who sponsored the Senate version of the health district bill, claims circumstances, not politics, are to blame for its failure in the 2025 session. 'It's the legislative process,' Avila said. 'I was activated for the presidential support mission in D.C., so I was away for a little bit. You also had the week that (Tallahassee) was snowed in. A lot of things got kind of jammed up … Typically legislation takes anywhere from three to four years.' 'I think just having that initial conversation is a step forward, and next year we'll take another step forward,' he said. Rep. Hillary Cassel, R-Dania Beach, who sponsored the House version, did not respond to a request for comment. Cassel previously told the South Florida Sun Sentinel that she introduced the House bill after conversations with leadership at Broward's health systems, considering it a way to allow the safety-net hospitals that serve disadvantaged communities to be more innovative and collaborative. However, the board chairs of both the North Broward Hospital District (Broward Health) and the South Broward Hospital District (Memorial Healthcare System) told the South Florida Sun Sentinel they had not read the bills before they were proposed and were not fully aware of the intent. The bills have sparked a furor among Memorial employees, in part because they surfaced soon after a round of layoffs and demotions. An online petition at to stop the bills titled 'Say NO to HB 1253 / SB 1518' has been signed by close to 1,800 people, many fearful of losing their jobs. The petition asserts that the bills would give Shane Strum 'unchecked authority' and allow him 'to transform a public healthcare system into a corporate machine.' Seven months ago, Strum, CEO of Broward Health, became the interim CEO of Memorial. His short tenure at the helm of Memorial has been tumultuous, with directors demoted, employees laid off, physician contracts shortened and a new performance plan initiated. Employees claim that Strum is dismantling the health system and eroding morale. One of those firings has led to a lawsuit. Dr. Aharon Sareli, Memorial Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, whom Strum terminated in February, has sued Memorial Healthcare System for breach of contract, unilaterally eliminating his position, duties and compensation and not providing the agreed-upon severance. The health system's attorneys have not yet responded to the lawsuit, but Memorial Board Chair Elizabeth Justen said Sareli had resigned. Justen has repeatedly said Strum is carrying out the board's directive to eliminate redundancies and make Memorial more efficient. 'That's what well-run companies do,' she said. 'People get comfortable, and they were comfortable with us not moving forward,' she said. 'It is our job to look to the future and to see where we go next, and we are trying to do it as transparently as we can.' Justen said the bills' failure does not prevent collaboration. 'It will not stop us from doing what we already have in our charter,' she said. 'We're going to continue working together with Broward Health. We are going to move forward with everything we can do together.' Employees express fear that Strum wants to merge the two independent, long-standing, publicly funded health systems. For decades, Memorial has been financially stable and operated without competition, unlike Broward Health, which has significant competition and has struggled financially, Memorial employees say. In their petition, they note that Memorial just had its best year in its financial history. In an opinion piece for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Strum defended the proposed bills and his goals. 'Legislative proposals being discussed in Tallahassee don't merge our systems; that would require a lengthy public process. Instead, they expand what we're already doing, which is working together to stretch resources further,' he wrote. 'At Memorial, we've trimmed redundancies, affecting 0.5% of our 17,500-strong team, while protecting physician roles and adding new facilities. Growth, not cuts, defines our path.' Steve Sampier, a retired community services director for Memorial Healthcare System, said the proposed bills would have met with less resistance locally if Strum was not leading both health systems. 'It's hard for one person to be loyal to both systems at the same time,' Sampier said. 'Memorial and Broward Health already have partnerships, and if they want to do more, bring in a healthcare professional to be CEO of Memorial with expertise in partnerships. Then it might make sense, but this looks like a political game.' South Florida Sun Sentinel writer Steve Bousquet contributed to this report. Do you have comments or insights on Memorial Healthcare System or Broward Health? Contact South Florida Sun Sentinel health reporter Cindy Goodman at cgoodman@ or 954-304-5908.
Miami Herald
07-02-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Homelessness is on the rise in the US. Why is Miami-Dade reporting a decrease?
Due to rising costs, changes in migration and natural disasters, the number of people living on America's streets rose 7% between 2023 and 2024 as homelessness reached an all-time high. But in Miami-Dade County, that number has dropped to an 11-year low, according to a recent census conducted by the county's homeless services agency, the Homeless Trust. The January count logged 858 unsheltered homeless people — 175 fewer people than were recorded at the same time last year and the lowest such figure for Miami-Dade since 2014. Speaking at a recent Homeless Trust board meeting, Chairman Ron Book cheered the results. 'This is an extraordinarily special day in the history of this body,' he said. How has Miami bucked the national trend? A new state law banning public sleeping, well-timed cold weather shelter placements, more housing options for the homeless and a push by local authorities to place people in shelters. Those factors combined to bring more people inside who had been sleeping without a roof over their head. Behind the numbers The 11-year low only refers to the number of unsheltered homeless people in Miami-Dade. The thousands of people who couch-surf, sleep in their cars or live at homeless shelters aren't included. As of January, there were more than 2,800 people living in the county's network of emergency shelters and temporary housing units, up 103 people from January 2024. Overall homelessness— those living in shelters and on the streets — slid by 2%, or 72 people, across Miami-Dade County since last January but remains above its 2023 level. The 17% drop in Miami-Dade's street-sleeping population came just weeks after HB 1365, a statewide ban on public camping and sleeping, empowered Floridians to sue their local governments for non-enforcement. Homeless Trust officials said the law, combined with a weeks-long cold snap, drove redoubled efforts to bring inside those who sleep on the county's streets. The Trust placed nearly 200 people in shelters in the chilly weeks leading up to the homeless census on Jan. 23, according to Executive Director Vicki Mallette. She estimated that more than a third of those people elected to stay for an extended period in the shelter system, where they can receive help from providers. It's likely that some individuals who would have otherwise been living on the streets during the Homeless Trust's count were instead staying in a shelter that night. How the homeless census works It was frigid on the night of Jan. 23. Much of northern and central Florida was frosted. Though Miami was a relatively balmy 50 degrees, a bone-chilling humidity settled on the city. Around 10 p.m., dozens of jacketed census takers, flanked by police, divided themselves into 25 teams and fanned out across Miami-Dade in search of people sleeping on the street, many of whom were buried under layers of blankets and clothes. The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, from which the Homeless Trust receives nearly half of its $100 million yearly budget, requires the local providers it funds to conduct a 'point-in-time' homeless count once a year, at night, sometime during the last 10 days of January. This was the Trust's 54th count in its 30 years of existence. Twice a year — once in August and once in January — Trust officials set out to tally Miami-Dade's homeless population. The Trust conducts its August count to monitor seasonal changes in the size and composition of the county's homeless population. What the results show The number of people without shelter in Miami-Dade had held steady since January 2015, fluctuating slightly each year but generally staying between 900 and 1,100 people. Barring a brief dip to 892 people in 2021, this most recent census marks the first time since 2014 that the county's recorded homeless population has dropped below 900. The decrease is also the largest — both in number and in percent change — in 15 years. Countywide, the number of people sleeping on the streets fell, but some places saw steeper drops than others. The city of Miami Beach and the South Dade area from Kendall Drive to the Monroe County line posted 31% and 43% dips, respectively, while the number of people experiencing homelessness in the city of Miami and in North Dade — an area north of Kendall Drive to the Broward County line, excluding Miami city limits — declined 13% and 6%. In Miami, the city's outsized homeless population shrank by 85 people, more than in any other region in the county, to 546. The Trust has yet to identify a concrete reason behind the precipitous drop in South Dade's homeless population beyond a countywide increase in outreach efforts. In an email to the Herald, Book speculated that Miami Beach's decline could be due, at least in part, to what he described as the city's attempt 'to arrest their way out of homelessness.' Previous Herald reporting found that more than 40% of arrests in Miami Beach in 2024 were of people experiencing homelessness. While the numbers generally trended downward, certain populations saw marked upticks. The number of homeless parents aged 18-24 increased by 39 people, a 64% spike. This year's count also found 134 members of veteran households — veterans and their immediate family — living on the streets, up from 101 last year. Book expects the overall downward trend to continue. To that end, the Trust is hoping to create upwards of 400 new temporary housing beds this year, according to a December memo. The document also noted the county's intention to add 1,000 new units of long-term affordable housing for those making less than 30% of Miami-Dade's annual median income — roughly $34,000 for a family of four — to clear up space in the county's shelter system. Behind the numbers Speaking to the census' findings, Book noted the Trust's 'aggressive' efforts to bring people in off the streets during January's cold spells. Leading a counting team, Book walked up First Street, across from the Stephen P. Clark Government Center, offering those sleeping on the sidewalk a ride to one of the county's shelters, which he said had collectively stood up 125 extra cots to accommodate those looking to escape the cold. 'We use the opportunity to bring them in,' he said of the cold weather. 'And, when they're in, we try to persuade them to stay.' The census also came amid a national reckoning with homelessness. As cities across the country have struggled to deal with their mounting homeless populations, the Supreme Court last June paved the way for local governments to criminalize homelessness. Legal precedent had previously held that punishing people who had no other option but to sleep outside was cruel and unusual, and therefore unconstitutional. Months later, in October, a Florida law banning public camping came into effect. An attempt to spur local governments to prioritize ending homelessness, the law, HB 1365, holds municipalities legally accountable for ensuring that people don't sleep on their streets. Proponents have celebrated the measure as important to ensuring 'law and order.' Critics contest that it could lead to arrests of people whose only 'crime' was having no roof under which to sleep. Regardless, the law has given renewed urgency to local governments' efforts to combat homelessness. And, Book said, '[HB] 1365 might have psychologically helped us with that [chronically homeless] population,' which could now face jail time for sleeping outside. 'People have looked at [HB 1365] as a negative, and it is a negative,' remarked Book at a recent Homeless Trust board meeting. 'But our position has been to make something good out of something bad.' This story was produced with financial support from supporters including The Green Family Foundation Trust and Ken O'Keefe, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work.
