LTC 282-2018 State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) PrgramMIAMIBEACH
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
NO. LTC # LETTER TO COMMISSION
282-2018
TO: Mayor Dan Gelber and Members of the City Co mission
FROM: Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager
DATE: May 15, 2018
SUBJECT: State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) Program Housing Counseling Services
The purpose of this Letter to Commission is to advise the Mayor and Commission that the City will be
sponsoring several community workshops this summer to provide residents with homebuyer education
programming in support of the City's First-time Homebuyer Program.
As a State Housing Initaitives Program (SHIP) entitlement community, the City received an allocation of
$13,027 from Florida Housing Finance Corporation (FHFC) to support education efforts. The City
subsequently issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to qualified non-profit agencies currently providing
homebuyer education courses throughout Miami -Dade County. The sole, responsive bidder was Opa-Locka
Community Development Corporation (OLCDC).
OLCDC will provide five (5) group counseling sessions to Miami Beach residents. Classes will be offered in
English and Spanish. The sessions will be held at North Shore Park and Youth Center on Saturdays, 9 am- 5
pm on the following dates:
• June 16 (Spanish session)
• June 30 (English session)
• July 21 (Spanish session)
• August 4 (English session)
• August 18 (Spanish session)
The group sessions will promote the City's First Time Homebuyer Program for income -eligible residents in the
City's ongoing effort to increase homeownership and the total number of affordable housing units in the City.
Workshop attendees will receive a Homebuyer Education Course certificate which is a requirement for first-
time homebuyer program applicants. Attendees are also eligible to subsequently receive one-on-one
counseling sessions with OLCDC. The City will promote these sessions via social media and Constant Contact
as well as directly to tenants residing in City -owned affordable housing properties.
If you have any questions, please see me or Maria Ruiz, Director of Office of Housing and Community
Services.
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