HOMELESS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES

MISSION

The mission of the City of Miami Homeless Assistance Program is to provide homeless individuals assistance by
placement into appropriate housing and/or shelter.
Leading the commitment of the City of Miami to reduce its homeless population in a humane,
dignified and sustainable fashion through strategic collaborations throughout a Continuum of Care.
The Program provides outreach, assessment, placement, information, referral and transportation services to homeless
individuals and families, and assists with placement in shelters that can offer help with bus tickets (relocation) to go
back home to another state. The Program also employs and trains formerly homeless men and women.
OUR COMMITMENT

 Conduct countywide outreach, engagement (information and referral) and placement/transportation of individuals and
families experiencing homelessness into temporary or permanent housing as well as to appropriate rehabilitation
agencies/programs etc.
 Disseminate information and connect veteran individuals and their families experiencing difficulties with the VA and the
Miami Dade County Homeless Continuum of Care with the goal of enhancing opportunities to return them to
employment, safe housing, available health care and mental health services as needed.
 Play point in the evacuation of individuals found living in the streets during inclement weather and places them into
emergency shelters.
 Replace birth certificates and state identification documents as well as assists with the mental evaluation, diagnose and
ambulatory treatment of mentally challenged homeless individuals.
 Facilitate the establishment and implementation of discharge procedures for homeless individuals exiting jails, hospitals
and community mental health agencies (in coordination with Miami Dade Homeless Trust, Miami Dade County, Jackson
Health Systems and City of Miami Police) ensuring that they have an adequate supply of medication upon discharge and
that the appropriate services are provided afterwards.
HOMELESS VETERANS

 Miami VA Health Care System, Operation Sacred Trust and CAHSD Veteran Services Program
 Prioritizing veterans have always been on the top of the City’s programming list.
 Identifying all Veterans experiencing homelessness.
 Providing shelter immediately to any Veteran experiencing unsheltered homelessness who wants it.
 Providing service-intensive transitional housing only in limited instances.
 Assisting Veterans to swiftly move into permanent housing.
 Providing resources, plans, partnerships, and system capacity in place should any Veteran become homeless or be
at risk of homelessness in the future.
CITY OF MIAMI DATA (2018/2019)

 Number of regular placements = 4,798

 Number of veterans placements = 89

 Number of emergency weather placements = 512

 Cleanups Conducted = 223

 Over 76,665 contacts

 CITY OF MIAMI FUNDS THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS

FY 2019-2020 Funding

Total Budget Impact:

$660,000
$100,000
$75,000
$25,000

$460,000

Camillus House Bed Program Camillus House Day Program

Lotus House Shelter & Transitional Housing Program Lotus House Meals Program
CAMILLUS HOUSE BED PROGRAM 2019-2020

$460,000

A total of 75 available shelter beds to homeless

persons in the City’s homeless population in
compliance with the Pottinger Settlement
Agreement.
• (10) emergency beds per day for single night use
designated for the City of Miami Police
Department.
• (65) extended stay beds.
 CAMILLUS HOUSE DAY PROGRAM
2019-2020

$100,000
The program serves approximately (175) homeless men and
women a day, Monday through Friday, in the City of Miami.
Services provided include:
• Showers
• Clothing
• Mail
• Groups and activities
• Meals
• ID Services to assist with re-establishing personal identification
• Referrals and to care for mental health, medical treatment and
housing
 LOTUS HOUSE SHELTER & TRANSITIONAL HOUSING PROGRAM
2019-2020

$75,000
Provides a safe shelter facility and transitional housing services for
homeless women, youth and children experiencing homelessness.
• Beds for a period of up to (60) days
• Up to (3) meals a day
• Basic case management, information and/or referral to ancillary services
• Access to health, substance abuse, and mental health screening
• Showers, clothing, mail room, library, computers, socialization and other
recreational activities
• Assistance to receive entitlement benefits, referral to educational,
recreational and vocational services
• Referral to transitional or advanced care housing
LOTUS HOUSE MEAL PROGRAM 2019-2020

$25,000
Assist with providing additional
meals women and youth
experiencing homelessness
within the Miami community.
Sundari Foundation provides meals
at the Lotus House Village location
to an estimated 900 plus women
and youth annually.
MIAMI DADE HOMELESS TRUST

MEMORANDUM OF FEEDING/HMIS EMERGENCY MIAMI METRO

AGREEMENT STAFFING/ID HOTEL/MOTEL NORTH

 $52,166  $996,000  $288,500

 $340,000
 To assist the homeless  To provide temporary  Decrease the need for
 To assist with
individuals with the placement service homeless individuals to
assessment,
replacement of lost (Hotel/Motel) for travel to the City for
transportation and
identifications, for the homeless families services by funding
placement to homeless provision of staffing for programs to attend the
individuals Homeless Management needs of individuals
Information System (HMIS) where they are located
and for coordination of the
Feeding Program
MIAMI DADE HOMELESS TRUST

MIAMI METRO MIAMI METRO OUTREACH

SOUTH MAIN SALARY/STAFFING

 $136,800  $135,000  $120,000

 Decrease the need for  Decrease the need for  Homeless Trust
homeless individuals to homeless individuals to travel Contribution to partially
travel to the City for to the City for services by cover the costs of
services by funding providing funding for programs converting the
programs to attend the at individual’s locations temporary employees to
needs of individuals permanent full-time
where they are located status
DOWNTOWN CLEANUP STRATEGY

The population of homeless persons in downtown Miami and in

the City overall fluctuates throughout the year based on various
factors. What remains a constant challenge, however, is the debris
and solid waste left behind by homeless persons. This includes
human waste. The presence of human waste leads to an
unsanitary environment and may also provide an environment for
the spread of communicable diseases. In order to address these
concerns, the following list of activities are being undertaken
during a month long demonstration effort. In this time period
we will also identify the costs associated with the
City Manager, Emilio Gonzalez, PhD
implementation of each activity and whether they should form
part of a longer range plan.
DOWNTOWN CLEANUP STRATEGY
DEPT OF HUMAN SERVICES
Through the division of Homeless Outreach, the
department shall post the areas of clean up and shall
reserve shelter beds to offer homeless individuals
who may be impacted by our clean up. Homeless
outreach personnel will dispatch on a daily basis, no
fewer than 10 green shirts to address the former
Macy’s location in downtown Miami. Homeless
Outreach should assist and be present with the
Department of Solid Waste and assisting with clean
up activity.
DEPT OF SOLID WASTE
City of Miami Solid Waste shall increase the number of
clean ups at the Macy’s location and the S.W. 2nd Street
and 2nd Avenue to 5-6 days a week with 6 clean ups
within the 5 day span. Clean ups shall begin no later
than 3 a.m., each morning. (Tuesdays, Wednesdays,
Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only), with at
least 1 clean up on Fridays, taking place after 7pm.
DOWNTOWN CLEANUP STRATEGY
CITY OF MIAMI NET
NET should provide cleanup crews at least once a
day for the former Macy’s location as well as
the S.W. 2nd Avenue and 2nd street location. This
will include any debris or litter removal from both
locations.
MIAMI POLICE DEPT
The MPD shall provide hourly patrols for the former
Macy’s location downtown as well as the S.W. 2nd
Avenue and 2nd street location. MPD shall accompany
Solid Waste Department in the nightly cleanup of both
locations (Macy and S.W. 2nd Avenue and 2nd street).
Police Department shall place an event sign at the
Macy’s location to notify our homeless population of
nightly clean up activity.
DOWNTOWN CLEANUP STRATEGY
CITY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
A Legal Service Request (LSR) was requested
regarding Homeless feeding and the development of
a resolution and/or ordinance that would assist in
maintain cleanliness of our city street. The draft
ordinance has been completed however, the City
attorney recommends not to implement it.
Therefore, further discussion with Attorney staff is
necessary.
FL DEPT OF HEALTH
The Florida Department of Health has been asked to
provide us with an environmental assessment of the
Downtown Macy’s location as well as S.W. 2nd Avenue
and 2nd street location. They have acknowledged receipt
of our e-mail and they have declared the sight a sanitary
nuisance as defined by state statues.
DOWNTOWN CLEANUP STRATEGY

DDA MIAMI DADE HOMELESS TRUST

The DDA staff will a meet to discuss cleanup of We are in the process of arranging a meeting to discuss
human waste issues expressed by Homeowners City of Miami Homeless issues with the Miami-Dade
Associations (HOA’s) and seek ways to Homeless Trust and it’s Executive Director and Board
contribute to its solution. Chairman.
CLEANUPS
(PRE)
CLEANUPS
(POST)
LAZARUS PROJECT – SPECIALIZED OUTREACH

 August 2014
 Born out of an acknowledgment that many of the individuals discharged from crisis units with anti-psychotic
medication fail to take their medication, resulting in relapses, repeat ER and mental health hospital visits, and
interactions with the police.
 Designed to provide much-needed medical and behavioral healthcare to the most vulnerable, underserved, and
disengaged chronically homeless individuals still living on the street
LAZARUS PROJECT – SPECIALIZED OUTREACH

• Began as an innovative collaboration between

• City of Miami Homeless Assistance Program (MHAP)
• Camillus Health Concern
• Camillus House
• Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust
• Miami Coalition for the Homeless
LAZARUS PROJECT – SPECIALIZED OUTREACH

• Multidisciplinary, Mobile Team

• MHAP outreach worker
• SOAR Case Manager, Housing Navigator/Case Manager
• Psychiatric ARNP, Medical Assistant
• Engages, assesses and administers medical treatment, including medication observation for previously prescribed
psychotropic medications – on the street
• Monitors patient progress with a goal of stabilization for engagement and placement into housing
IN ACTION
VIRGIL’S STORY

 Psychotic break freshman year of college

 Homeless half of his life
 Now, living in his own apartment
 Reunited with family
VIRGIL’S STORY
SUCCESS STORIES