LTC 349-2017 Motion by the LGBTQ Advisory CommitteeMIAMI BEACH
City of Miami Beach, 1700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33139, www.miamibeachfl.gov
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
LTC #349-201 LETTER, 0 COMMISSION
TO: Mayor Philip Levine and Members of the City Co mission
FROM: Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager
DATE: July 10, 2017
SUBJECT: Motion by the LGBTQ Advisory Committee
The purpose of this Letter to Commission (LTC) is to inform the Mayor and the Commission of a
motion made by the LGBTQ Advisory Committee at their meeting on May 9, 2017.
BACKGROUND
A growing proportion of our population is reaching retirement in the coming years. Baby
boomers, those born between the years of 1946 and 1964, began turning 65 in 2011. The
age group 65 and older makes up the largest age group in the US and is growing at a faster
rate than any other age group.1 As more than 77 million baby boomers transition into
retirement over the next 25 years, challenges associated with independence, quality of life,
and health will grow.
Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS) released a report in 2016, which supports
this assumption. JCHS found that "Over the next twenty years, the population aged 65 and
over is expected to grow from 48 million to 77 million." This will result in one in three homes
being headed by someone aged 65 or older by 2035. Even more concerning, "While roughly
15 million older adults earned less than 80 percent of their area median incomes in 2015, by
2035 this group will reach 27 million.i2 Additionally, The Homeless Research Institute of the
National Alliance to End Homelessness estimated that, the older adult homeless population is
projected to rise from 44,000 in 2010 to as many as 95,000 by 2050. 3
LGBTQ AGING POPULATIONS
Issues around housing affordability for America's seniors has been researched and discussed
by researchers for much of the past decade; however, with more than 7 million lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender seniors reaching 65 within the next 25 years there are an entire host
of extenuating issues that have only begun to be addressed.
It is estimated that by 2030 there will be approximately 7 million gay and lesbian Americans.
While numerous studies have been conducted on the efficacy of various housing models from
aging in place to long term care communities, little time, energy or capital has been invested
in dissecting the components of how these models can or should be nuanced to effectively
address the societal and personal needs of our country's gay and lesbian elders. "The
1 http://www. immersionactive.com/resources/50-plus-facts-and-fiction
2 "Projections and Implications for Housing a Growing Populatoin: Older Households 2015-2035". Joint Center for Housing Studies. Page
10,
3 "Healthy Aging Begins at Home". BiPartisan Policy Center. May 2016
reasons for these disparities can be attributed to lack of population specific funding, the
minority stress of stigma, discrimination or prejudice, internalized homophobia, and
concealment.i4
Through research conducted over the past five years, we also now recognize the added
vulnerabilities experienced in the LGBTQ community. In August, 2016, the Williams Institute
released a report that compiled research findings in this area. It found, "Same-sex couples
are disadvantaged in retirement assets, retirement savings, and ability to pass on wealth.
Same-sex couples also have a higher rate of poverty compared to heterosexual married
couples. Lesbian older couples in particular, are 10-20% less likely than different -sex couples
to have retirement income or interest and dividend income, and are much more likely to
receive public assistance.s5 These startling statistics are coupled with the pervasive housing
discrimination suffered by many LGBTQ older adults. "In one study as many of 26% of houses
tested treated same-sex couples differently by either quoting higher monthly rent or denying
housing applications."
The housing options that accommodate LGBTQ couples or that provide cultural competency
on the issues faced by the community while increasing are still limited at best to a handful of
communities. Additionally, best practices around aging -in-place that have been documented
in recent years can provide those who would like to remain in their existing homes a safe way
do so. LGBTQ seniors should not be expected to uproot their lives during their later life and
devoid themselves of their existing support systems in order to reside in communities that
embrace their gender identify or sexual orientation.
MIAMI BEACH SPECIFICS
Miami Beach has the 26th highest population density in the United States with a 2015
estimated population of 92,312 residents. Approximately 4.2% of the Miami Beach population
is estimated to self -identify as LGBTQ (approximately 3,877 residents). This constituted a
5.2% population increase since 2010 and persons over the age of 65 make up 16.2% of the
total population. Shockingly, Miami Beach has the second highest housing density in the
country only following that of New York City. Approximately 17.7% of Miami Beach residents
live in poverty and median rents average approximately $1,003/per month. The University of
Miami, Center on Aging along with Our Fund conducted a survey in 2015 and discovered that
as many as 43,000 LGBTQ aging older adults (65+) called one of the three south Florida
counties home.
POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS/INNOVATIONS
As Miami Beach considers ways to increase the amount of affordable housing stock to lower
and moderate income workers, it should consider inclusionary practices in creating diverse
communities through the use of set -asides for LGBTQ aging older adults. As a core
constituency who helped build the thriving Miami Beach community, providing affordable
housing alternatives to its community's elders not only makes good sense from a moral
standpoint but it also makes good financial sense in creating social determinants of health that
can assist in decreasing homelessness, improving health outcomes and decreasing
engagement with public systems that end up costing the public sector more money long term.
Ultimately, multi -family developments can be designed in a number of different ways and a
community should tailor any development designed to meet the specific needs of their
community.
4 https://issuu.com/LGBTQagingcenter/docs/addressing_the_needs_ofLGBTQ_older_/48
5 "LGBTQ Aging: A Review of Research Findings, Need and Policy Implications" The Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law. Page 10.
August 2016.
LGBTQ-Friendlv Developments
There are a handful of projects that have been constructed in various parts of the United
States with more in some state of the predevelopment process. These projects maintain
consistency with the Federal Fair Housing Act by preventing discrimination on the basis of
sexual orientation, gender identity, spousal affiliation, or age. No one is turned away from
submitting an application or becoming a tenant; however, staff are trained in LGBTQ cultural
competency, programming is LGBTQ-centric thereby creating a welcoming environment for
LGBTQ residents. It is about creating an inclusive not exclusive environment. Through this
approach of affirmative marketing, those uncomfortable in this type of environment often self-
select to look at other housing options. Examples of affordable LGBTQ-friendly housing
include developments in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Minneapolis
with work towards additional developments in Washington, San Diego, DC, Raleigh, Ft.
Lauderdale and New York City among other locations.
Each of these developments was created using Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC)
and the majority have LGBTQ populations ranging anywhere from 50-75% within the building.
It should be noted that LGBTQ housing doesn't necessarily need to be a building of its own.
There are nuanced differences in the developments of each city and innovations are occurring
all the time to create housing opportunities a reality.
For example, with Triangle Square in Los Angeles the project was made possible in part by
the city donating the land on which the development was built. In Minneapolis, the property
manager has created a welcoming and inclusive environment by building community between
LGBTQ neighbors and those of Somali descent. In Chicago, problems between LGBTQ and
non-LGBTQ residents were eliminated with the lease addendum forbidding any type of
harassment of residents for any reason, subject to potential eviction. In New York City, the
housing authority is recapitalizing one of its public housing buildings for private redevelopment
and guaranteeing affordability with the provision of Project Based Section 8 Housing Choice
Vouchers for all 142 units. And it isn't just LGBTQ-friendly developments engaged in
innovative development design. In Seattle, the Chamber of Commerce was a key stakeholder
in galvanizing redevelopment of downtown blighted structures and converting them to ground
floor retail with supportive housing creation for homeless populations above. It helped get the
housing created needed for the vast homeless population and reduced street homeless and
recidivism rates, both of which were a problem for the city.
For Miami Beach, if workforce housing is a priority, consider potentially coupling a set-aside
for a couple of floors of a larger building to be set aside for seniors (both LGBTQ and non
LGBTQ) with onsite services space on the ground floor. Through these examples it is clear
that cities are developing multiple innovative strategies to approach issues of housing
affordability and scale. Additionally, the Greater Miami Hotel and Beaches Association could
be an excellent partner with a vested interest in helping to galvanize efforts in serving lower
income residents who may work in their businesses.
COMPONENTS OF LGBTQ-FRIENDLY AFFORDABLE SENIOR HOUSING
• Ensure affordability for a segment of its tenants by utilizing Low Income Housing
Tax Credits (LIHTC) for its development ensuring that no less than 20% of all
units were accessible to those at 50% and below Area Median Income.
• Embracing special needs populations (examples including veterans or those with
HIV/AIDS) and ensuring that the service linkages needed for any potential
tenants are in place through partnerships with community agencies.
• Operating subsidies to assist in paying rents through programs such as Project -
Based Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers or HOPWA (Persons living with
HIV/AIDS).
• Space co -located on site for the service needs of its tenants. This could be as
basic as limited case management to more intensive service needs such as a
primary healthcare clinic. Exploration of funding options such as Medicaid,
Medicare, and designation as a Federally Qualified Health Center are ways to
ensure at least a portion of these service costs could be covered through federal
reimbursement.
• Accessibility to transportation and amenities to ensure a thriving community
engagement for its tenants.
• Property management and service staff trained with the cultural competency to
the needs of the LGBTQ community.
Not LGBTQ exclusive, but rather an LGBTQ welcoming environment open to anyone
embracing a multi -cultural community that embraces and celebrates diversity.
MOTION: To have dedicated LGBTQ senior housing.
Motion Made By: Craig Carmendia
Motion Seconded By: Heriberto Sosa
Motion Passed: 14-0
JLM/MTG