LTC 229-2024 Tenant Defense Project Quarterly Update (002)MIAMI BEACH
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
LTC# LETTER TO COMMISSION
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT:
Honorable Mayor Steven Meiner and Members of the City Commission
Rickelle Williams, Interim City Manager {?{e}
June 5, 2024
Tenant Defense Project Quarterly Update
The purpose of this Letter to Commission (L TC) is to provide an update on the Tenant Defense Project, as
requested by the Finance and Economic Resiliency Committee (FERG) on February 23, 2024. This L TC will be provided quarterly until the completion of the project on September 30, 2024.
On December 29, 2022, the City and Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc. ("Legal Services") executed a
HOME-ARP Program Agreement for the Tenant Defense Project, with an expiration date of September 30, 2024, in the amount of $183,801 for low-income Miami Beach residents. Legal Services provides qualifying
low-and moderate-income residents legal assistance to address issues associated with tenant rights, including evictions, necessary repairs not completed by the landlord, 60-day notices before rent increases,
and instances when landlords refuse to cover temporary housing expenses when a tenant's unit is deemed unsafe and uninhabitable.
Legal Services staff continues to meet with residents by appointment on a weekly basis at the Office of
Housing and Community Services walk-in center, located at 765 17 Street. In addition, Office of Housing and Community Services staff is responsible for supporting residents needing to schedule an appointment
for housing issues. Walk-in clients are also seen on Thursdays, based on availability.
From January 2024-May 2024, the Administration referred twelve (12) clients to Legal Services on their partner portal, scheduled seventy-eight (78) appointments, and directed twenty (20) residents seeking walk
in appointments. During this timeframe, Legal Services has opened forty-eight (48) cases, provided information and referrals to twenty-three (23) clients, and closed thirty-nine (39) cases.
Legal Services of Greater Miami-Miami Beach Tenant Defense Project
HOME-ARP Service Agreement Amount: $183,801.00
Remaining Balance: $97,318.90
Period: January 2024-May 2024 Service Type Period January 2023 Total To Date
CMB Referral via Partner Portal 12 46
Scheduled Appointments 78 197
Clients Attending Appointments 70 106
Walk-in Clients 20 59
Self-Referred Clients 14 34
Cases Opened 48 123
Closed Cases 39 109
Referral Pending Service 6 17
Information & Referral 23 81
For more information, please contact Alba Tarre, Department Director at AlbaTarre@miamibeachfl.gov.
DM/MT
229-2024