The Miami-Dade Housing Committee will vote Tuesday on whether to accept $62.5 million in federal homeless housing funds. The money helps support programs like Cutler Bay's Hideaway Bay senior housing facility.
The resolution, sponsored by committee Chairwoman Marleine Bastien of District 2, would authorize the county to receive and spend $62,512,577 in U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development fiscal year 2025 Continuum of Care Program funds for homeless housing and services. The meeting begins at 12:30 p.m. in the Commission Chambers.
The grant represents a significant jump in federal support. The Homeless Trust's current budget includes $52.5 million in federal funds, itself up from $37 million received in fiscal year 2023-24, according to the adopted 2025-26 budget.
Cutler Bay Facility Illustrates the Funding's Reach
The Homeless Trust operates Hideaway Bay at 10821 Caribbean Blvd. in Cutler Bay, a 107-unit hotel-to-housing conversion for seniors 55 and older experiencing homelessness. It is the trust's first such project.
"I know there was a lot of debate before we opened, but this is not a shelter. This is supportive housing for seniors," Denny Baldonado, director of Hideaway Bay, said in a May interview posted by the Homeless Trust. "These are people who want to live peacefully, be part of the community."
According to the 2023 point-in-time homeless count cited in Hideaway Bay project documents, 67 people experiencing unsheltered homelessness were counted south of Kendall Drive to the Monroe County line, a 28% year-over-year decrease in South Miami-Dade. A more recent count was not available.
Court Ruling Adds Uncertainty to Federal Funding
The vote comes amid turbulence over federal homelessness policy. On June 30, U.S. District Judge Mary S. McElroy struck down the Trump administration's changes to HUD's Continuum of Care program for fiscal year 2025 funding, ruling the policy shift was "arbitrary and capricious." HUD had sought to limit permanent housing resources and redirect funds toward temporary housing.
The resolution on Tuesday's agenda includes language authorizing the county to accept "additional funds should they become available" and to modify agreements — language that could give the county flexibility if federal funding conditions change.
Budget Presentations Precede Formal Requests
The committee also will hear fiscal year 2026-27 budget presentations from three departments: the Community Services Department, the Department of Public Housing and Community Development, and the Homeless Trust. Commissioner Anthony Rodriguez is the prime sponsor of that discussion item.
The Homeless Trust's current operating budget totals $105 million, funded roughly equally by federal grants and the county's 1% food and beverage tax, which generates about $47.4 million annually.
Metrorail Land Deal Also on Agenda
The committee also will consider a resolution approving a development agreement with Pine Development LLC for affordable housing on county-owned property within the Metrorail right-of-way. The deal includes a 99-year lease with projected revenue of about $21 million in development fees and rental income. Commissioner Natalie Milian Orbis is the prime sponsor.
The five-member committee includes Vice Chairwoman Vicki L. Lopez of District 5, along with Commissioners Juan Carlos Bermudez of District 12, Kionne L. McGhee of District 9, and Raquel A. Regalado of District 7.
How to Follow the Meeting
The meeting is open to the public. Residents can view the agenda and watch proceedings through the county's Granicus portal at miamidade.granicus.com.
