COCONUT GROVE, FLA. (WSVN) - Miami city commissioners discussed a way to build a community for homeless people in the area, which would involve moving them to a specifically designated zone.
Government officials held a meeting in Coconut Grove to talk about plans to redistribute the homeless population, Thursday.
They looked into placing the less fortunate in a transition zone somewhere in the city.
Five locations are being considered: Virginia Key, Liberty City off Northwest 71st Street and Fifth Place, Allapatah, an area near Camilla’s House on 6th Avenue and a municipal parking lot off of First Street.
The idea is to move people experiencing homelessness away from densely populated areas and treat them humanely with social services, transportation, bathrooms and lockers.
“Now, we have made an effort to clean that up. Because you’re homeless doesn’t give you the right to break the law. What do we do with those folks? Because we don’t want them to be in jeopardy as well,” said City of Miami Commissioner Christine King.
King oversees the district with the largest homeless population. She said this will help move those who experience homelessness out of populated residential areas.
“This encampment will address chronic homelessness where you have some persons who will not accept services,” said King.
The city is looking at five locations: A municipal parking lot at 200 Southwest First street, close to Camillus house. A small lot off Northwest Sixth Street and Sixth Avenue. Another option is a space in Allapattah. Then there’s a state owned lot under Interstate 95 and Liberty City, but the one option suggested by the city manager and drawing the most public outcry is Virginia Key.
Virginia Key Advisory Board Chairman Joe Rosco believes that this is an infrastructure issue.
“The human services that are required to take care of the homeless are not anywhere near Virginia Key, and so there is no mass transit to Virginia Key,” said Rosco. “These things need to be considered when you’re coming up with this decision.”
Esther Alonzo with the Virginia Key Outdoor Center questioned the relocation of these people.
“These are people that are in crisis,” said Alonzo. “How do you bring in people in crisis en mass to a place where children congregate?”
“This is a bunch of hog wash, that you got a bunch of kids and you’ve got all this stuff. These are a bunch of elitists, but don’t want them in the neighborhood. Send them to the poor and the middle class in the city of Miami,” said City of Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo.
Carollo initially suggested the idea last October. Now it’s being discussed again weeks after advocacy groups sued the city for violating the rights of people experiencing homelessness, saying that they’re personal items were destroyed during regular cleanups.
“The residents of Miami have rights too,” said Carollo, “not just homeless or out in the streets for the most part, because they’re addicts.”
Commissioners said they will possibly decide and vote for a location Thursday. They will also discuss the type of housing that will be offered to the homeless people.
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