State Sen. Alexis Calatayud used a Thursday, Aug. 20, television appearance to outline her policy agenda for Palmetto Bay, Cutler Bay and the rest of Senate District 38: defend the Urban Development Boundary, fund Biscayne Bay restoration, accelerate septic-to-sewer conversions and expand homeownership programs.
The Republican senator appeared on the Resilient Miami episode, hosted by Irela Bagué on CNEWS TV. She framed environmental protection as inseparable from economic health across the district, which includes parts of Miami-Dade County, including Coral Gables, Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay, Cutler Bay and parts of Homestead, according to Florida Politics. Calatayud won the seat by 8.8 percentage points in 2022.
Urban Development Boundary
Calatayud pointed to her work earlier this year to remove Urban Development Boundary provisions from a land-use preemption bill, HB 399. The boundary helps limit development sprawl toward the Everglades and agricultural lands.
A coalition of South Florida leaders, including representatives from Palmetto Bay, called for a veto of the original bill in March before the UDB provisions were removed, Florida Politics reported.
The UDB protections remained intact.
Flooding and infrastructure
Calatayud described the flooding reality facing her constituents in plain terms: “You live on a sponge. If you live in South Florida, you’re going to flood.”
She identified septic-to-sewer conversions and aging stormwater infrastructure as urgent needs across District 38, though the broadcast’s published summary did not identify specific projects or dollar amounts.
The 2026-27 state budget includes more than $1.7 billion for Everglades and water-quality projects, including $665 million for Everglades restoration and $396 million for targeted water-quality improvements, according to Florida Realtors.
Housing and Live Local
Calatayud sponsored the Live Local Act in 2023, which requires local governments to authorize certain affordable-housing developments despite otherwise applicable local zoning restrictions. The law’s fourth iteration, HB 1389, took effect July 1 and expanded its land-use provisions to certain properties owned by school districts and religious institutions.
At a separate Aug. 3 community meeting in Coconut Grove about a proposed Live Local Act development on Douglas Road, Calatayud told attendees at St. James Baptist Church that the law remains a work in progress and that she expects to keep refining it based on resident feedback, according to the Coconut Grove Spotlight. She struck a similar posture on the Aug. 20 broadcast, calling homeownership the strongest anchor for community stability.
The state budget also allocated $50 million to the Hometown Heroes Housing Program. The program provides eligible first-time homebuyers in qualifying professions with zero-interest, deferred loans for down payments and closing costs. An additional $236.5 million went to state and local affordable-housing programs.
What’s next
Calatayud faces reelection in November. Residents can contact her District 38 office at the Kendall Campus, 11011 SW 104th St., Suite 5101, Miami, to weigh in on flooding, housing or bay-restoration priorities before the next legislative session.
