Habitat for Humanity "Sweat Equity" solution for Miami Public Housing

When Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alverez heard that nearly 900 public housing units are available but remain vacant due to a shortage of maintenance staff responsible for repairs and renovations, he directed county officials to move families into these vacant homes ASAP. When he heard at least another 100 vacant units are ready for occupancy but remain empty he deemed that "unacceptable." This action followed the recent brouhaha over the corrupt and incompetent county public housing authority in which the head of the department and others were promptly fired.

The mayor's directive came a day before the Miami Workers Center was to announce their 12-point plan to solve the public housing crisis. In 2002 the Center began a "Fill the Vacancies" campaign to "expose the problems." According to the Center spokeswoman Sushma Sheth, 40,000 families are on a waiting list for affordable housing. I'm sure they made the mayor's office aware of their initiative. Question is, "Why didn't the mayor act sooner?" At least he trumped the county manager who played catch-up in trying to explain his inept handling of the public housing authority after the Miami Herald's revealing "House of Lies" series exploded upon the scene.

Although the Miami Herald story did not run any pictures of these available "units," a local TV station went out to the projects and revealed row after row of boarded up apartments in largely empty neighborhoods. The most amazing thing we noticed was that the buildings looked to be in pretty good shape and we had to stop and ask ourselves, what is going on here? These buildings are sturdy structures built out of bricks, concrete, and wood and you can bet they meet code (see pictures found on the net). With a few simple repairs (broken windows, new doors, some electrical, etc, etc.), people could be living in them.

MiamiVision Blogarama (MVB) proposes that the answer to correcting the problem does not lie in paying county workers to "fix them up" but rather in giving them to the poor in exchange for the Habitat for Humanity principal of "sweat equity," where first time homeowners take on the responsibilities of repair and maintenace in exchange for the keys to the "unit," which we like to call "foothold homes." With a "foothold home," the poor get a helping hand to step up to becoming part of the middle-class while taking from government and placing upon themselves the burden and expense of repair and maintenance. Coupled with the ideas that transformed Chicago's reputation as having the worst public housing in the U.S. into a prototype for the best in public housing-- which includes listening to the people who live there about what they want and need and drug testing of housing applicants (if you fail, there is no way you're moving into the neighborhood)-- then we might just have something that works.

Peter DeMaria, architect extraordinaire, to Miami's Public Housing Rescue?

Architect Peter DeMaria, the man responsible for turning used shipping containers into homes, is coming to Florida. Because a posting by this blog suggesting Mr. DeMaria would be the perfect solution to solving Miami's public housing shortage was discovered on the net (see 8/2 comments section for that topic), we were encouraged to contact him directly-- which is part of the blog's mission statement of affecting change (see request for President Jimmy Carter to head the county's corrupt and incompetent public housing department). Following is the email exchange:

From Peter DeMaria:
Thanks for your advocating and comments. It sounds like you may have struck a chord down there in Miami. The University of Miami School of Architecture is a headquarters of sort to "New Urbanism". It's so close to you that it could be worth a visit. Our office has been researching a few potential office locations in Florida but we haven't selected our final location just yet. Your ideas about the "workforce housing" could not have been more accurate. This condition is not only in Miami but here in LA as well. My research has shown that just about every metropolitan area is experiencing some level of this lack of housing at an affordable price point. While our custom home project in Redondo was not "affordable housing" per se, it is being constructed at far less than average and affordable cost per square foot. The response to it has been overwhelming and from all parts of the US and as far away as Italy. We think that it will open some doors and minds to a new technology that can translate into affordable building construction.

Your platform for dialogue regarding affordable housing that won't blow away in the next hurricane is a real service to many people in the Southeastern U.S. - great job, keep it alive! I'll keep you posted on what
we've got going on and please stay in touch. Once again thanks for your support.

All the best,

Peter

Peter DeMaria AIA
DeMaria Design Assoc.
941 Manhattan Beach Blvd.
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
T: 310 802-1270
F: 310 802-1260
www.demariadesign.com

8/8 reply:
Dear Peter,

Thanks for the email. Regarding "workforce housing" in Miami, it is so bad here that the school board (4th largest in US) is considering selling property to build up a reserve of cash to help teachers put down payments on their homes. It is so bad here that the school board can't hire new teachers because they can't find affordable housing in the county. With record numbers of teachers retiring, a crisis in education is predicted because new teachers can't find a place to live. It's architects like you who think outside the "box" that could be the answer to a whole lot of social problems. If you move to Florida, I would suggest putting your office in Miami. Aside from getting more than enough work on the affordable housing side, you can also service clientele with enough money to buy upscale IBUs and other more traditional designs (or non-traditional), money-empowered jet setters who buy condos and homes in Miami so that they have a place to crash when traveling or investment. Plus, there are more than enough developers here who could be your Medicis. Put your office where all the political power is and that is in downtown Miami which is undergoing a building boom of high rise chi-chi condos and office towers that rivals Beijing thanks in part to the soon to open nearly half-billion dollar Carnival Center for the Performing Arts (Cesar Pelli). I went to UM and yes, it has a great school of architecture, but it is off the beaten trail and highly academic (besides, they have been non-existent in this housing solution-- no statements have been issued, no comments solicited from the media). Again, thanks for the kind words, and best of luck in your endeavors.

FEC Tracks for Commuter Rail? In our Lifetime?

We found this in the Miami Herald today (8/7) regarding the chances of seeing a commuter rail running from Palm Beach into downtown Miami. If and when it happens, it will be like a heart bypass on a sick patient. It will increase vitality and jump-start a sustained renaissance:

Back-channel talks have been under way between top state transportation officials and Florida East Coast Industries over the 82-mile corridor that runs through all of the redeveloping east-side downtowns from Miami to West Palm Beach.

''I think it's a huge opportunity to create a light-rail option,'' Stutler said last week. ``I think it would be really exciting. We've got to create more [transportation] options and we've got to be smarter how we retrofit our communities to deal with the future needs.''

Most transit experts believe the FEC corridor that Henry Flagler built is where Tri-Rail should have been from the get-go. But the 1980s-era FEC wasn't interested, so the state turned to CSX and bought the old Seaboard line along I-95.

Today, the FEC corridor is ripe for high-density, high-rise, mixed-use development. More than 1.1 million people live within a half-mile of the rail line in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.

Imagine what the area could become over the next three decades as population continues to rise, land becomes scarcer, traffic congestion worsens and cities retool vertically.

With a few exceptions, most of the FEC corridor from Miami to Jupiter is 100-feet wide -- plenty of room to lay two ribbons exclusively for FEC freight and two for future South Florida passenger service.

DIFFERENT COMPANY

And today's publicly traded FECI, headed by longtime Miami business fixture and power broker Adolfo Henriques, is a much different company than the one that wouldn't negotiate in the 1980s.

FECI is not only a major freight hauler, but one of the state's largest -- and most politically connected -- landowners, especially since it acquired the real-estate and development empire of Bush's old business partner and mentor, Armando Codina, earlier this year.

Henriques and Codina know FECI is sitting on a gold mine.

The state might agree to buy the corridor and provide the infrastructure to guarantee uninterrupted freight and passenger service. Imagine FECI agreeing to sell some of the right-of-way in return for tax credits that will help it build workforce housing near some stations and secure air rights over other key stations.

''As a resident of this community, I believe we need to work very aggressively to develop a viable public-transportation system,'' Henriques said. ``Passenger traffic [on the FEC corridor] needs to occur. We're prepared to discuss it. I'm willing to discuss anything.''

TIMING IS RIGHT

The timing is right. The corridor is needed. Traffic congestion already ranks among the top issues cited by voters in every poll. FDOT can't pave its way out of the problem. We'll worry about how Miami-Dade, Broward or Palm Beach counties can pay for their respective shares another day.

Want to bet a deal gets done before Bush leaves office in January?

''I think you should stay tuned,'' Stutler said.

Got a commuting question or an idea for a future column? Contact Larry Lebowitz at streetwise@MiamiHerald.com or call him at 305-376-3410.

UpDate (5/3/2010):
Here's an excerpt from today's Miami Herald By Alfonso Chardy. After nearly 4-years, maybe our message in the "cloud" is finally getting through.

``All aboard!'' shouted Amtrak conductor Shaun Robertson as the passenger train departed from downtown Miami Saturday morning, headed to Jacksonville on a track along Florida's eastern shore -- rails chiefly reserved for freight trains.

Robertson's classic call marked the beginning of a historic journey, a special train Amtrak operated to check the feasibility of resuming passenger service between the two east Florida cities.

The last time the densely-populated eastern shore rail corridor had regular passenger service was in 1968. Since then, the Florida East Coast Railway or FEC, which traces its history to railroad and hotel pioneer Henry Flagler, has largely been reserved for cargo trains.

State and local officials aboard the special train said that if Amtrak restarts regular passenger service on the line, it may lead to a second commuter rail service in South Florida -- one running on the same FEC track east of Interstate 95 and through the downtown areas of Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.

The FEC commuter rail service would be in addition to -- or an extension of -- the existing Tri-Rail commuter rail now operating on tracks west of I-95.

While planning for eastern shore rail passenger service has been around for years, state and local officials believe they have a better chance of realizing their dream now because the Obama administration is interested in fostering a national rail system to improve rail connections between urban centers both with high-speed rail between cities and more efficient commuter rail between counties.

An expression of official interest in FEC passenger service was the presence of Florida Gov. Charlie Crist at the send-off ceremony for the special train by the track just west of the Freedom Tower and the American Airlines Arena in downtown Miami...."

And the MiamiVision Bob Enzyte Big Idea Award goes to...

Bruce Rubin for his August 6th Miami Herald Letters to the Editor "Big Idea":

Opa-locka an option

Remember when Eastern Airlines was the king of Miami? Then, suddenly, the king was not just dethroned, but beheaded. It took years to replace the airline's revenue contribution to Miami International Airport, not to mention its philanthropic involvement in many facets of the community.

At that time, it would have been reasonable to expect that government and aviation officials never again would allow the airport's economy, not to mention a good chunk of our overall financial health and welfare, to be held hostage to one airline.

Oops -- it seems that one slipped by us, because here we are again, but worse off than before. Now we're dealing with the new Terminal A, otherwise known as the Interminable Walk to the Gate -- or the money pit.

It would be easy to blame American Airlines. The airline mounted an effective, hard-nosed lobbying effort, combining financial support with a gun-to-the-head approach. But that's what corporations do. When push came to shove, our government caved yet again. Instead of continuing this revolving door of aviation directors, why not just hand the keys over to American Airlines? That's who is in charge, anyway. With all the cost overruns, there's no way that MIA is going to attract the Jet Blue kind of carrier. The costs to use the airport already are too high.

But we can still fix this problem. MIA is a lost cause, but Opa-locka Airport isn't. There sits a vastly underused airport that can be spruced up and used to entice Southwest Airlines to start flying in and out of Miami. You don't think Jet Blue will fly out of both Broward and Miami-Dade counties? Why not? It flies out of all three of New York airports, Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark.

Such an effort will not only add short-term gains to the local economy. If done properly, it should boost long-term revenue and provide convenience to residents and tourists. It just takes a bit of leadership.

BRUCE RUBIN, Miami

Bruce, we couldn't have said it better. Congratulations on your award!

Is it a joke or what...

When the FAA restricts the Carnival Center for the Performing Arts from popping its beacon on and lighting up the night sky because it might interfere with pilots landing at MIA? Hell, if anything it ought to help them find it.

"I lost Miami!"
"Follow the light!"
"It's too bright! I can't see!"
"What? You didn't bring your aviator sunglasses? And you call yourself a pilot?"

(Uncontrolled laughter)

Geesh, I tell you, if I was paranoid, I'd think the Atlanta branch of the FAA which makes up these cockamamied rules has got it in for us. They're even telling us we can't build buildings as big as we want to. The nerve of them. Last time I checked this was America-- except for certain parts of Miami.

(Uneasy laughter)

Hey, I'm only kidding. Lighten up. Where's a translator when you need one?

(Someone heckles the Miami Vision Comic in Spanish. He doesn't know Spanish but senses he may have crossed the line. He tugs at his necktie and begins to sweat under the spot lights. He quickly whips out his emergency back-up line)

I just heard Castro died!

(Uncontrolled cheering and shouts of joy)

Yeah, the first parade is scheduled right after this set.

(Except for a few blog surfers that stumbled into the Miami Vision Comedy Club accidentally and haven't a clue about what is going on, the room is suddenly empty as the audience rushes out onto Calle Ocho to begin another round of marching up and down the street and waving small Cuban flags which they always carry somewhere on their bodies for exactly this kind of news).

Carnival Center for the Performing Arts: The Jewel in the Rough

Despite all the negative publicity our city is getting recently from the incompetency and greed of its fleecing of the public, the newly named Carnival Center for the Performing Arts stands out above it all. If Captain Kirk had a "Prime Directive" for the good of the universe, the CCPA is our "Prime Motivator" for the good of Miami and the county. Because of its existence, downtown is undergoing a building boom which will probably never ever be seen again. To see a really neat interactive 3-D display about the CCPA and the new buildings it will spawn around it, please click this Miami Herald link: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/15199356.htm You'll be glad you did. That's my opinion. What's yours?

Contract with Habitat For Humanity to build public housing in Miami

If Dade County manager George Burgess was on top of things, he would have known about county public housing employees ripping off the public and stopped them in their tracks. No excuses. He looks like a "Johnny Come Lately" following the Miami Herald series "House of Lies" with his grandstanding after-the-fact. County mayor Carlos Alverez should demand an accounting. Personally, I'd fire the incompetent and hire an organization that understands the meaning of the words "non-profit." If Mayor Alverez has any real vision beyond his strong mayor plan, he should look into contracting with Habitat for Humanity. Hell, I'm sure President Jimmy Carter would be more than happy to take over the public housing reins. Aside from actually building housing for the poor, I'll bet Carter's team would save the county money by excising the bloated, self-serving public housing staff. That's my opinion. What's yours?

Hurricanes, Schmericanes!

I know the "mean season" has arrived and I'm not talking about the weather. Yesterday, I turned on the TV to catch the local six o'clock news and quickly started changing channels. Every station was doing a story on hurricane Chris for crisesakes. Yesterday it was probably a thousand miles away. Today it's just a whimpering blip on the radar.

Is it just me, or do you feel the same way about hurricane coverage? It's way too much information way too soon and for far too long. My God, sometimes they start the coverage when a tropical depression forms off the coast of Africa! The last time I looked, that was on the other side of the freaking Atlantic Ocean!

You have to understand, I grew up here. When the media asks if you are prepared, baby, I've been prepared since Hurricane Donna (1960) with the exception of one additional change: I make sure my remote has fresh batteries so I can find something on TV other than the latest hurricane updates. Back then, before weather satellites and remotes, when weathermen were men and not hot babes in tight-fitting clothes in low-cut necklines (although, I must admit, that is an improvement), we got our info from radar and brave men who flew vintage aircraft into the eyes of hurricanes-- and that was only when it was close enough to read on radar screens. And you know what? We got through it without a lot of hand-holding, 24-hour advice from the media. This was before there were Home Depots in every neighborhood where you could rush out and buy your supplies. There were a few Lindsey Lumber stores around (now history) but most of us just lowered our window shutters, hunkered down, and waited for the storm to pass. As far as I'm concerned, the media is making Florida a state of wussies. That's my opinion. What's yours?

Miami's Public Housing Answer-- provided no one figures out a way to rip off the public.

Leave it to Californians to show us the way. Architect Peter DeMaria is using old shipping containers and building homes from them. They are half the cost of a typical California home (approximately $125.00/s.f. instead of $250.00/s.f.). Seems the trade deficit has created a surplus of these babies known in the business as IBUs (Intermodal Building Units). Insulation is a NASA developed ceramic coating a little thicker than a credit card which is sprayed on the inside and outside of the IBUs. Some homeowners are spray painting them with bright automotive colors.

When stacked, it is possible to create roof heights of 20' or more. This seems like one answer to creating public housing in Miami-- provided there is a system of checks and balances to keep corrupt officials and bureaucrats from stealing public dollars allocated for these projects-- which the recent Miami Herald series "House of Lies" led by reporter Debbie Cenziper points out will be an uphill battle. Used IBUs now cost about $2,000.00 each but once word gets out that there is a demand for them, I'm sure the price will go up.

Looking at some of the houses already built, this kind of contruction might also be a solution to building affordable luxury workforce housing-- an oxymoron if ever there was one. As an example of what is possible, a 3,500 s.f. IBU home was built in California that has 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, with 20' ceilings for $125.00/s.f. The ironic thing about all of this? The used IBUs come from Florida. That's my opinion. What's yours?

Rodney Dangerfield Masthead Mechanics Confidential

I've had a few queries regarding the masthead (I'm sorry, that's a lie. I hardly get any queries or comments. This is afterall, "The Rodney Dangerfield of Blogs"). It, like the rest of the images on this site, was created in Corel Draw/Photopaint using pictures I either made or found on the web.

Regarding Rodney Dangerfield, besides being one of my favorite comics, I actually met the man while floating in the Atlantic Ocean off of Ft. Lauderdale. The first thing I saw was Rodney's head moving toward me just above the water. I instantly had a flashback to that famous hamhanded black and white trick-pic of Chairman Mao taking a swim in the Yangtze river. It was released by the commies to prove that Mao was not only very much alive but for an aging dictator, he was also one healthy, lean-mean swimmin' machine. Both images had an odd, otherwordly appeal except that Rodney's head talked back to me. "Hey, how's it going?" he asked. I'm sure if he had a necktie to tug at, he would have. God bless Rodney Dangerfield where ever he is. In case some of you have never heard of him because you are so freaking young and would like to hear him do some of his jokes, please go to the website he created before his death at: www.rodney.com. If you dig deep enough in his video archives, you'll find Rodney's famous "Triple Lindy" off the diving boards. That Rodney, always a cut-up in the water.