Resolution 94-21077 •
RESOLUTION NO. 94-21077
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION
OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA ENDORSING -
THE CONCEPT OF A WOMEN AND CHILDREN'S RESOURCE
CENTER IN MIAMI BEACH
WHEREAS, according to the Miami Beach Housing Authority' s
strategic planner and the Miami Beach Housing Authority Needs
Survey-Final Report, prepared by the Barry University School of
• Social Work in. August, 1993 , the preponderance of the low-income
Miami Beach families requiring housing.assistance are single-parent
female-headed households with small children; and
WHEREAS, there is no emergency housing or shelter for
battered or homeless women within the City of Miami Beach; and
WHEREAS, the Women of Miami Beach (WOMB) have advised the
Housing Authority that the majority of women who seek emergency
assistance or "safe-space" shelter are living below the poverty
level and therefore lack. the financial resources to obtain
alternate housing and social services when they are forced to flee
their homes as the result of' domestic violence; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to the current proposal established by
the Housing Authority these women and their children would be •the
target group to be assisted through the Women and Children' s
Resource Center of Miami Beach; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with the Housing Authority' s
proposal the Center would provide the following: (a) affordable
rental housing for very-low income female-headed families; (b)
transitional emergency shelter for battered and homeless women and
their children; (c) counseling and other social services; and (d)
a day-care program; and
WHEREAS, Organizations that may be involved in the
development of the Resource Center include, but are not limited to,
the Women of Miami Beach (WOMB) , the City of Miami Beach, the
•RAINMOTHERS, the Miami Beach Development Corporation, Dade County,
the Miami Beach Housing Authority and The Barry University School
of Social Work; and
WHEREAS, the Commission on the Status of Women gave their
support - to this proposal and on February 16, 1994 submitted a
Resolution endorsing the Women and Children' s Resource Center to
the Miami Beach City Commission; and •
WHEREAS, through a combination of efforts with other
governmental entities and community-based organizations, the
Housing Authority hopes to effectively address the problems of
battered and displaced women, homelessness, affordable housing, and
economic self-sufficiency in an integrated, holistic' fashion.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT -RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA that the Mayor and
City Commission hereby endorse the concept of a Women and,
Children' s Resource Center in Miami Beach.
ADOPTED THIS 2nd D• OF -ch 1994.
PASSED AND
/ 447,
, -
ATTEST:
CITY CLERK
FORM APPROVED
LEG E .
q4,27 a4f
Date '��� n r
ti
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
CITY HALL 1700 CONVENTIONCENTER DRIVE MIAMI BEACH FLORIDA 33139
•
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER TELEPHONE: (305) 673-7010
FAX: (305) 673-7782
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COMMISSION MEMORANDUM NO.
TO: Mayor Seymour Gelber and DATE: March 2, 1994
Members of the City Commission
FROM: Roger M. Canto
City Manager
SUBJECT: A RESOLUTION ENDORSING THE CONCEPT OF A WOMEN
AND CHILDREN'S RESOURCE CENTER IN MIAMI BEACH
ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDATION:
The Administration recommends City Commission adoption of the
attached Resolution which endorses the concept of a Women and
Children' s Resource Center in Miami Beach.
BACKGROUND:
According to the Miami Beach Housing Authority's strategic planner
and the Miami Beach Housing Authority Needs Survey - Final Report,
prepared by the Barry University School of Social Work in August,
1993, the preponderance of low-income Miami Beach families
requiring housing assistance are single-parent female-headed.
households with small children. Further, the Women of Miami Beach
(WOMB) has advised the Housing Authority that the overwhelming
majority (80-90%) of battered women who seek emergency assistance
• or "safe-space" shelter are living below the poverty level and
therefore lack the financial resources to obtain alternate housing
and social services when they are forced to flee their homes as the
result of domestic violence.
Based on the above the Miami Beach Housing Authority has developed
a proposal to establish a facility that will serve these women and •
their children.
ANALYSIS:
The. Housing Authority's . proposal for the Women and Children's
Resource Center provides the following: (a) affordable rental
housing for very-low income female-headed families; . (b)
transitional emergency shelter for battered and homeless women and
their children; (c) , counseling and other social services; and (d)
a day.-care program. ' A copy of the Housing Authority' s proposal as
submitted to U. S. HUD is attached. The Housing Authority has
clarified that the length of stay in the transitional housing
component is dependent upon the time necessary to stabilize the
client but should not exceed six months. In order to ensure
affordability, housing costs should not exceed 30% of adjusted
gross income.
Organizations that may be involved in the development of the
Resource Center include, but are not limited to the following:
Women of Miami Beach (WOMB) , the City of Miami Beach, the
RAINmothers, the Miami Beach Development Corporation, Dade County, ": 61.
the Miami Beach Housing Authority and The Barry University School
of Social Work. AGENDA -
ITEM �
•
DATE -2- I
CONCLUSION:
The Commission on the Status of Women gave their support to this
proposal and on February 16, 1994 submitted a Resolution endorsing
the Women and Children' s Resource Center to the Miami Beach City
Commission.
It is recommended that the Mayor and City Commission likewise adopt
a Resolution which endorses the concept of a Women and Children' s
Resource Center in Miami Beach.
RMC/STP/jm
. 62
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THE HOUSING AUTHORITY
OF THE
• r •'ram CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA
• EXECUTIVE OFFICE
f7 _ ;' zoo ALTON ROAD DAVID H NEVEL
2�,;, MIAMI BEACH: FLORIDA 33139 FXeCUTIvt UIRCCTOR
TELEPHONE. 13051 532-6401
BOARD OP COMMISSIONERS TDM 13051 672.5501
HOWARD GALBUT
GNAT*MAN
JOHNNY WAYNE
VICE•CHAIRMAN
HARRY MILONER
COMNI$S OMfR
F.1 ENA ROSALES PROPOSALCOMMIS/IONam
MATTI BOWER
COMMIssIONLI
FROM: David Nevel, Executive Director
Miami. Beach Housing Authority
RE; WOMEN AND CHILDREN'S RESOURCE CENTER: AN INTEGRATED
HOUSING FACILITY TO PROVIDE EMERGENCY/AFFORDABLE
HOUSING AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR BATTERED AND
DISPLACED WOMEN AND THEIR FAMILIES
DATE: .January 28, 1994
Recent demographic studies by the Housing Authority's strategic
planner and the Barry University School of Social Work.
demonstrate that the preponderance of low- income families
requiring housing assistatnce within the i I- y of Miami Bear') are
single-parent female-headed households with small children . With
the ongoing redevelopment and "gerrtriLi&:uL. ion" of Miami Beach,
• . this low-income population is facing an ever increasing crisis as
apartment houses which previously provided affordable rental
units are being purchased, vacated, and renovated for higher
income uses.
The Miami Beach Housing Authority is cure• III-iy funding and
operating a program to provide emergency I.i:location assistance to
some of these families. We have allocated $250, 000 from OLL
reserve accounts for emergency .houtiing assistance and supportive
services, and recently hired an MSW to administer the Rent
Supplement Program. Nevertheless, the growing scarcity of
• affordable rental housing units in the city continues to humpI i
even our best efforts at r.eluc:aLiriy diaplatcc•d families.
Additionally, there is no emergency housing or shelter for
battered women or displaced homemakers within the city of Miami
Beach. There is a newly formed group working, with battered women
in our city, Women of Miami Beach (WOMB) , who have advised me
that the overwhelming majority o1= women who uurue to them seeking
emergency assistance are living below the poverty level and
therefor lack the financial resources to obtain alternate housing
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anti social services when they are forced to flee their homes as
the result of domestic violence. These women and their children,
together with those low-income female-headed families who are
being displaced by the yenLrification process, would be thn
target group to be assisted through the women' s and children' s
Resource Center of Miami Beach (hereinafter referred to as "r.hc
Center") .
The proposed Centex would provide the following;
(a) Affordable rental housing for very-low income female headed
families;
(b) transitional emeryr.cicy shelter for battered and homClcee
women and their children;
(c) counseling and other social services; and
•
(d) a day-care program.
The Center should be a collaborative effort of groups such as
WUMS, the City of Miami Beach, the Reinmothers, the Miami Beach
Development Corporation, Dade County, and Lhe Miami Beach Housing
• Authority, The Barry University School of Social Work, which
currently has a student unit working on emergency housing and
family self-sufficiency programs at the Miami Beach Housing
Authority, has expressed an interest in expanding its involvement
to include the Center. pos:;ible Cunding eources for the Center
are the Community DCvelu?meJLL Block CranL program,
the atetic of
Florida SAIL program, U.S. HUD programs (e.g. , HOME) , County
affordable housing and social services programs, the Florida
Legislature, Dade County Schaole, the Miami Beach Housing
Authority, the City of Miami Beach, and charitable foundations .
State Representative Bruno Batreiro' s oPticv has indicated a
willingness to pursue leyi. laLive meads ,:,f providing financial
support for the Center, and the office of County Commissioner
Bruce Kaplan has also shown interest in supporting this project .
Miami Beach City Commissioner Nancy Liebman has shown a keen
interest as well, and d willingness to sponsor an appropriate
measure before the city' s Public Affairs Committee, which she:
chairs. Denis Russ, Executive Director of the Miami Beach
Development Corporat.iucl, has also expressed support for the,
proposal, and a willingness to cnnoideL utilizing his HOME
allocation toward the development of the housing component . And,
• the Miami ueach Commission.on the Status of women has given the
proposal its enthusiastic endorsement.
It might be possible to acquire a suitable :Ate for the Center as
part of the consideration in a proposed :swap. by the flouainy
Authority of the site of the former Goodman Terrace public
housing project for properties owned and/or controlled by
.Portofino (Thomas Kramer) and/or the City of Miami Beach. We are
currently in the process of selecting appraieerB so that
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c j_ L•„1i J•t 1 1 LU I1UUJ 11.0 lU 0..r1 1 JU..I U 1`1 UUU 1 (. J`.
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•negotiations can be commenced.
Through a combination of our efforts with other governmental
entities and community-based organizatiuiis, the Housing Authority
hopes to effectively address the problems of battered and
displaced women, homelessness, affordable housing, and economic
self-sufficiency in an integrated, holistic- fashion. For example,
residents of the housing component could receive job training and
employment opportunities through the child (..are and social
services components of t:he Center. Our goof is to create• a self
sufficient residential community of women and their familicu,
working together to provide shelter and services to other very
low-income women at risk Of becoming homeless.
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