Miami-Dade is printing unemployment forms. You can soon pick up, drop off at libraries
With Florida’s unemployment website and call center failing during the coronavirus crisis, Miami-Dade is printing hundreds of thousands of paper applications and using about half of the county’s libraries as distribution and delivery centers.
People can pick up the forms starting at 8 a.m. Wednesday at 26 libraries across the county. Completed forms in sealed envelopes can be submitted through a participating library’s book drop-off station.
County staff will then deliver it to the local state unemployment office. From there, the state office, CareerSource, will send the paperwork overnight to headquarters in Tallahassee for processing, according to a county news release.
People can also print out their own forms and drop them off at participating libraries in a sealed envelope, or at any CareerSource office.
The elaborate workaround by Miami-Dade seeks to address multiple failures by Florida to allow people to apply for unemployment assistance during government-ordered shutdowns of much of the economy to slow the spread of COVID-19.
The delays are even more dire because Florida pays benefits from the time of application, not the time of job loss. People are also missing out on increased unemployment aid provided by Congress,
So the delays in applying for state aid can cost the unemployed weeks of money they would have received if the Florida system was functioning properly. Florida Democrats want Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, to issue an order making unemployment benefits retroactive to cover the full period of unemployment.
Miami-Dade will be providing printed applications at tables outside of participating libraries seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. To find the closest participating library, call 305-375-2665. The list of participating libraries is below.
Libraries
Allapattah Branch
1799 NW 35th St.
Miami, FL 33142
Arcola Lakes Branch
8240 NW Seventh Ave.
Miami, FL 33150
California Club Branch
700 Ives Dairy Rd.
Miami, FL 33179
Coconut Grove Branch
2875 McFarlane Rd.
Miami, FL 33133
Concord Branch
3882 SW 112th Ave.
Miami, FL 33165
Coral Reef Branch
9211 SW 152nd St.
Miami, FL 33157
Country Walk Branch
15433 SW 137th Ave.
Miami, FL 33177
Edison Center Branch
531 NW 62nd St.
Miami, FL 33150
Fairlawn Branch
6376 SW Eighth St.
West Miami, FL 33144
Golden Glades Branch
100 NE 166th St.
Miami, FL 33162
Hialeah Gardens Branch
11300 NW 87th Ct.
Hialeah Gardens, FL 33018
Hispanic Branch Library
1398 SW First St.
Miami, FL 33135
Homestead Branch
700 N. Homestead Blvd.
Homestead, FL 33030
International Mall Branch
10315 NW 12thSt.
Doral, FL 33172
Kendale Lakes Branch
15205 SW 88th St.
Miami, FL 33196
Miami Beach Regional Library
227 22nd St.
Miami Beach, FL 33139
Miami Lakes Branch
6699 Windmill Gate Rd.
Miami Lakes, FL 33014
Naranja Branch
14850 SW 280th St.
Miami, FL 33032
North Dade Regional Library
2455 NW 183rd St.
Miami Gardens, FL 33056
North Shore Branch
7501 Collins Ave.
Miami Beach, FL 33141
Northeast Dade - Aventura Branch
2930 Aventura Blvd.
Aventura, FL 33180
Palm Springs North Branch
17601 NW 78th Ave.
Hialeah, FL 33015
South Miami Branch
6000 Sunset Dr.
Miami, FL 33143
West Dade Regional Library
9445 Coral Way
Miami, FL 33165
West Flagler Branch
5050 West Flagler St.
Miami, FL 33134
West Kendall Regional Library
10201 Hammocks Blvd.
Miami, FL 33196