Miami to Overhaul Housing Department, Help Low-Income Florida Home Loan Seekers

Across the state, Florida affordable housing is a concern. Various cities are enacting various plans and policies to assist those simply wanting to purchase their first home at a reasonable price.

That being said - and in the wake of high-profile problems - a management team from Miami-Dade County has recommended a complete overhaul of the agency that oversees housing. The goal? To assist lower-income families in search of a Florida home mortgage.

Recommendations totaling $15 million in new funding call for:

- Expanded housing programs, including a local voucher program to assist very low-income, first-time buyers

- Improved security and safety in and around public housing properties

- An expedited process for rehabilitating existing public housing units to facilitate occupancy of 400 units as quickly as possible

County Manager George M. Burgess is expected to recommend additional funding when the county commission meets tonight to approve the 2006-2007 county budget.

“Our mission is to place Miami-Dade residents in affordable housing and to do it as expeditiously as possible,” Burgess said. “The new funding is a first step in putting our housing initiatives back on the right track.”

In addition to increased funding, the action plan includes measures to help developers deliver housing units, rapid completion of unfinished projects, such as Ward Towers, and thorough review of how the county oversees housing initiatives.

“We are committed to fixing how the county addresses its housing needs,” Burgess said. “It won’t happen overnight but we are putting the necessary resources in place to make affordable housing possible for those in our community who are in dire need.”

Earlier this year, the county manager replaced the entire senior administration of the Miami-Dade Housing Agency that failed to deliver on a number of affordable housing projects. In the near future, Florida home loans - on reasonable, low-cost residences - will hopefully be abundant in the city.