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Monday, 17 November 2008 |
Miami-Dade
Miami-Dade plans to ease housing crisis
Miami-Dade County received $62.2 million in grants from the federal government as part of the government’s housing stimulus measure that was passed by Congress earlier this year. The county has announced plans to utilize the funds to buy, rehabilitate and resell foreclosed properties that are currently owned by banks, to low income residents.
Under the government program a total of $541 million was allocated to the state, as part of a $4 billion allocation to stabilize neighborhoods affected by the widespread foreclosures. As foreclosures increased in the region, a result of the fall-out from sub prime loans, neighborhoods like several in South Florida risked the depression on property of homes in proximity to those foreclosed. Broward County received a grant of $17.7 million, but Miami-Dade’s grant was significantly larger, because the concentration of foreclosed homes was higher in that county.
Miami-Dade, according to reports, plans to help about 1,500 low-income residents in the county in homeownership counseling, down-payment assistance or the rental of rehabilitated apartments. It also plans to use $10 million of the grant to buy properties that are now owned by banks, and spend $1 million to remove dilapidated structures. Another $26.6 million will be spent to purchase apartment buildings with the goal of adding another 215 units to the low income housing inventory in the county.
Miami
Better late than never
Miami Woman’s Club apologies for racism
The Miami Woman’s Club has issued an apology for past racism during its 108-year history. The apology was offered on Monday, nearly four decades after the club’s membership was opened to women of color. Before the ban was lifted, Blacks were not allowed as members nor were they allowed to rent the facility for their own functions.
Club president, Noreen Timoney, speaking before a mixed audience of Black and White women said the apology was part of a larger non-partisan initiative to address cultural, economic and environmental issues in the community. In this regards the club has planned a Miami Action Policy Institute to focus on multiculturalism. The institute’s first forum will be held on November 19. However, the first step, Timoney said, was confronting a troubled past.
“We also have a shameful period in our history against people of color," Timoney said. "For that reason, we are sorry; we'd like to formally make that apology."
The apology was delivered as a resolution and was accepted by Dr. Dorothy Fields, the club’s first Black member. Fields saw the apology as the completion of a full circle. Her stepfather was the club's caretaker for five decades, and 80 years later Fields broke the color barrier when she became its first Black member.
Although the apology was made a few days after the election of the country's first African-American president, Timoney did not hint that this was the reason for the apology. She did say it was so important to make this apology now because, "We don't want it to be the only thing that people remember about the Miami Woman's Club, but what's more important is that we don't want to forget."
The prestigious Miami Woman’s Club’s apology follows in the trend of apologies made in recent years by various business, religious, and civic entities which were guilty of racist practices against Blacks. These include the State of Florida and the United States House of Representative.
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