HomeMy WebLinkAboutSubmittal-James Torres-LetterDowntown Neighbors Alliance
Francis Suarez, City of Miami mayor
Commissioner Christine King, chair of the City of Miami Commission
Commissioner Manolo Reyes, chair of the Downtown Development Authority
Commissioner Sabina Covo
Commissioner Joe-Carollo
Esteemed elected officials:
James Torres, President
Tel (602) 432-2593
MiamiDNAPresident@gmail.com
Submitted into the public
record for item(s) Dr.�, )
on 10126)2D23, City Clerk
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The ordinance is an expansion of a similar ordinance in Orlando that was upheld by federal courts. The approval of the
ordinance in Miami Beach was done on a split vote. There is reasonable disagreement as to whether the Miami Beach
ordinance is constitutional, and whether it falls into the category of `making homelessness a crime' or not. e---I
Warm greetings from the Downtown Neighbors Alliance (DNA). As you are likely aware, last week the City of Miami
Beach passed a new ordinance that will allow the arrest of homeless individuals for sleeping outside if they decline
placement in a homeless shelter.
As the Miami Beach commissioners who voted for this ordinance expressed, and the DNA has echoed in the past,
there is nothing humane about leaving individuals in our community who are often in the middle of a mental health 'V
crisis to continue sleeping on a piece of cardboard in the sidewalk, unsheltered from the elements and exposed to
abuse, crime and public health hazards. On the other hand, as those opposing the ordinance correctly pointed out, the
only real and permanent solution to homelessness in our community is an expansion of the affordable housing stock in
our county.
Those opposing the Miami Beach ordinance argued last week that "being homeless is not a crime", and ordinances hie
this one make it so. We disagree. While a person's housing status is not a crime, we have many taws in place that
prevent anti -social behavior from becoming public nuisances. We don't want to lock people up who are already living
in despair, and we are not looking to make it a crime to be homeless. But we also don't believe it's responsible, as a
society, to simply look away from the behavior of unhoused persons that causes damage to our community's social
fabric and to themselves.
No matter where you fall on this debate, there are two things we must all agree on. First, we know this new ordinance
by Miami Beach will make the homeless population grow in City of Miami neighborhoods, as dozens if not hundreds
of homeless people will undoubtedly cross the bridge from South Beach into downtown Miami to avoid having to
interact with the Miami Beach Police. Second, the passage of this ordinance in Miami Beach highlights how little we
are doing in the City of Miami to address this issue. Rather than tackle this problem head on, we have leadership that
plays with the statistics to claim we are moving in the right direction, when we are clearly not.
(https://www.abcactionnews.curn'news stateJsuarez-satis-hes-lowered-miamis-homeless-from-6-000-to-600-hut-
experts-say-thats-not-all-true)
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DNA is demanding that City of Miami officials renew efforts to tackle the homelessness crisis in our streets,
including giving an up -or -down vote to an ordinance identical to what Miami Beach has just passed.
We look forward to collaborating with you to make this demand a reality.
Sincerely.
The Executive Board of the Downtown Neighbors Alliance
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