Federal funding for the homeless trust offers over 11 million dollars to Miami landlords in exchange for their apartments to mitigate the shortage in housing
What may not be known to many people is that there is a Miami-Dade’s homeless trust that has $11 million and is funded in part by the state and in part by the federal government. This comes as a ray of hope amidst the worst housing crisis to hit South Florida and perhaps the entire country.
However, it’s difficult to convince landlords to commit to this opportunity, making it increasingly challenging to mitigate the issue.
What the homeless trust fund offers
The Homeless Trust is connected to the RentConnect Program that connects participating landlords with verified and pre-screened homeless folk who are eligible for it. They help facilitate the rental agreement and other details.
The trust offers 300 vouchers that will be paid directly to the landlords and cover the first and last month. At present, they remain unused, however.
Landlords who do participate receive access to an additional fund, known as the mitigation fund, which covers any damage to the property by the tenant. However, in a decade of the program’s existence, the mitigation fund has rarely been used, if ever, because tenants are incredibly careful.
Why it’s such a necessary measure at present
It’s impossible not to have heard of or be affected by Miami’s affordable housing crisis which has taken the county by storm. Rents in the Miami-Metro area have gone up by 50% on average, which was the highest increase in the US. This also led to a 7% increase in the city’s homeless population, which is devastating, to say the least.
Empathy, compassion, and support are necessary to help uplift members of the community.
Landlords who wish to participate, or want to learn about the program, can call 305-349-7368 or e-mail Paul.RentConnect@miamidade.gov.
Miami’s affordable housing crisis continues to get worse and has deep-seated impacts on the locals. We’re sharing important updates and information about a wide range of issues through our platform. Subscribe to our news publication for the latest news, events, and much more from Miami-Dade.
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