Housing And Environment Lead Thrive305 Action Plan

Miami FL

18 November, 2021

7:33 AM

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By Samantha Morell, the Miami Times Nov 16, 2021 After a countywide survey that took place in February, Miami-Dade has devised a comprehensive plan to address residents' concerns while focusing on marginalized communities. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and her team, in partnership with The Miami Foundation, launched the Thrive305 action plan Nov. 4 at HistoryMiami Museum. The move came five weeks after the fiscal year's county budget was approved. The plan covers developments in housing, small business, public transportation, safety, sustainability and civic engagement – many of which are already under way. According to February's survey, Black, young and low-income residents' biggest concern is affordable housing. Part of the county's response was to set a goal to provide at least 14,000 affordable housing units by the end of 2022, citing increased federal subsidies for low income housing tax credits and changes to the Section 8 project-based vouchers program as ways to help achieve that goal. Some of the development efforts will help house previously incarcerated residents as a way to aid their reentry to society. Other safety goals include substituting arrests with citations, deploying health professionals and safety volunteers as an alternative to police officers, and expanding social services to keep kids out of the justice system. The overarching tasks of accelerating housing development and reinventing public safety are both designated in the plan as long-term goals. The process of completing each long-term goal may extend beyond the mayor's current term, says Rahel Weldeyesus, the senior advisor for the county's Innovation and Performance initiative. Short-term goals are those the county can likely achieve within a year or two. Still, of the 12 priority measures, which comprise a total of 38 actions, investment in blue-green jobs is the most extensive. This includes vocational training for youth, tree canopy expansion, and sewer and stormwater system improvements. Blue-green jobs are a way to improve the economy while focusing on mitigating or adapting to the rising threat of climate change. For instance, after last year's record-breaking temperatures, the county is looking to find ways to help residents live with extreme heat. Low-income communities are disproportionately affected by rising temperatures as a result of having less shade and more concrete. Part of the Thrive305 action plan is to educate residents on how historical redlining created "urban heat islands," and to prioritize planting trees in those neighborhoods that currently have the fewest number. The county plans to have 30% overall tree coverage by 2030. But, the plan notes, increased shade can come at the expense of walkability, which is another one of the county's goals. The county's Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department and the Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources will have to work side-by-side with the Department of Transportation and Public Works in order to effectively balance the allocation of space for greenery with that for wider sidewalks and increased transit stations. In any case, pedestrians are likely to be larger in numbers as the county seeks to accommodate changes for greater accessibility. The Thrive305 action plan says the county will realize 30% overall tree coverage by 2030, prioritizing urban areas that are below the current average of 19%. (Via MiamiGov.com) The Thrive305 action plan includes an expansion of "One Stop" service hubs, wherein local parks, libraries, art venues and other county facilities will be used for a range of services, such as health care, food distribution and emergency disaster relief. This way, residents can access a variety of resources in a single location that's close to home. In some cases, these services may even come straight to people's homes, benefitting senior residents and people with mobility issues. After finding success with COVID-19 outreach teams, the county plans to extend mobile services to deliver a wider variety of resources, including updates about county relations to typically underserved communities in order to keep them informed and engaged. Working at the neighborhood level and amplifying the voices of residents is what Thrive305 is all about, Weldeyesus says. Other direct actions include government internship opportunities for youth, mentorship programs for small business-owners and entrepreneurs, and full-scope training across county departments to better serve residents beyond one's traditional expertise. "We really want people to see this as the beginning," Weldeyesus said. "This isn't a really nice glossy report that's just going to be shelved. We want to build the civic muscle of our residents, and we want their voice to be at the center of everything we do." Weldeyesus added that the county expects to have community discussions beginning in 2022 in order to report back to residents and be held accountable for their actions. The Miami Times is the largest Black-owned newspaper in the south serving Miami's Black community since 1923. The award-winning weekly is frequently recognized as the best Black newspaper in the country by the National Newspaper Publishers Association.