Miami wants community input on citywide plan to create more affordable housing

By Joey Flechas

As people struggle to pay for housing in Miami, officials are looking for community input as they develop a citywide affordable housing plan.

Earlier this year, the Miami City Commission approved an agreement to work with Florida International University’s Metropolitan Center to craft a comprehensive road map for how to tackle Miami’s affordable housing problem. The city also received a $200,000 grant from the Center for Community Investment to connect developers, government officials, banks and nonprofit advocates to discuss realistic ways to create or preserve 12,000 affordable housing units by 2024.

Now the city wants the community to weigh in on different strategies to deal with the issue. Should the city create zoning laws that force developers to include affordable units in new buildings? Should there be a new tax on owners of vacant property, or should developers or property owners who provide new affordable units be rewarded with lowered taxes? Should the city just eliminate bureaucratic red tape for developers who promise affordable housing?

Miami’s department of housing and community development wants residents to participate in the discussion at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Charles Hadley Park Community Room in Liberty City, 1350 NW 50th St. Residents can learn about the city’s efforts and to give feedback while the plan is being developed.