Advocates for homeless rush to offer shelter ahead of temperature drop in South Florida
MIAMI – Ron Book greeted homeless men and women on Thursday at Bayfront Park in downtown Miami. The chairman of the Homeless Trust in Miami-Dade County asked them if they knew temperatures are going to drop to the 40s this weekend. Brook activated a plan to provide transportation and emergency shelter until it gets warmer again on Sunday in Miami. “It’s going to be very cold in our community.”A homeless man rests at Bayfront Park on Thursday in downtown Miami. The Homeless Trust had been able to place 90 homeless people in shelters by Thursday afternoon.
7,000 pending evictions’ cases filed in Miami-Dade and Broward counties
Right now, 7,000 pending evictions’ cases are filed in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. We found Antoya Ferrell, a Lauderdale Lakes resident, outside of the Broward County Courthouse looking for a solution before she and her four children become homeless. In Hollywood alone, more than a million CARES Act dollars have been given to 863 residents for rent, mortgage payments and utilities since October. In Broward County, the application period will close soon to get funding from the federal CARES Act. Find out more about Miami-Dade County programs.
Officials give final notice to homeless sex offenders living in encampment
The encampment near the intersection of Northwest 71st Street and 32nd Avenue had some 300 registered sex offenders. "Miami-Dade County should be embarrassed because of what these people are living like," said Steve Grafton, owner of Grafton Furniture. Registered sex offenders, whose victims were younger than 16, are required to live away from schools and day cares. Workers from Miami-Dade's Homeless Trust arrived Sunday night with police to give the offenders their eighth and final warning. "We're not going to let another encampment like this grow -- it's just not productive," said Ron Book, with Miami-Dade Homeless Trust.