Rent too high? New program will give low-income seniors up to $100 to cover increases
Note: On Dec. 12, Miami commissioners voted to extend the application deadline to Jan. 31, 2020. This article has been updated to reflect the new deadline.
Miami is launching a program to help some low-income seniors pay for rent increases.
Through the Senior Rental Assistance Pilot Program, a $1 million initiative approved by Miami commissioners in September, the city aims to help seniors living in subsidized housing pay for rent increases. Certain low-income senior households (ages 62 and up) who spend more than 50% of their income on housing and live in subsidized units will be eligible to receive up to $100 a month to help pay the rent.
The program, proposed by Mayor Francis Suarez earlier this year, is meant to support vulnerable Miami residents whose monthly finances would be thrown off by a rent increase, which is allowed in certain government-subsidized housing.
“When the rent goes up, they are not able to pay for the basics,” Suarez told the Miami Herald on Monday.
The program was initially proposed with a $200 cap per household. Commissioners decided to lower the cap to $100 in order to reach more renters. Administrators and commissioners have already received many calls inquiring about the program and expect there to be high demand.
Eligibility
Section 8 tenants and residents of public housing or Sec. 202 projects are not eligible for this program. The aid would go to tenants in other subsidized housing, including low-income tax credit buildings, where rents can go up annually regardless of tenants’ income levels.
To be eligible, senior households who live in the city of Miami must:
▪ Reside in an eligible subsidized property for low-income residents;
▪ Have a signed lease and be current on rent;
▪ Receive annual income that does not exceed 40% of the area’s median income. (For a household of one, someone with an annual income of $23,750 or less would be eligible, and for a household of two, the maximum would be $27,120);
▪Spend at least half of the household’s income on rent.
Newly approved program
In September, commissioners unanimously approved the program as part of the city’s $1 billion budget. Before the city spends a dollar, some commissioners have suggested the program should not be temporary. Commissioner Manolo Reyes sponsored a resolution on Dec. 12 that would make the program permanent. The resolution passed unanimously.
Suarez supported the concept and acknowledged that creating the safety net means it would be difficult to ever take it away.
“Once you go down the road of helping people, it has to be something you maintain,” he said.
Suarez said the city intends to seek any help it can get from the state and federal governments to address the housing crisis. He said the city’s local investment — which includes $100 million from the voter-approved Miami Forever bond — would ideally trigger contributions from higher-level agencies.
The mayor joined a chorus of local advocates in criticizing the use of public dollars in two statewide trust funds for housing that are supposed to be used for affordable housing projects. Since around 2003, Tallahassee lawmakers have routinely siphoned dollars from the funds to spend on other items, such as hurricane recovery.
Suarez said that while the Legislature should acknowledge the city’s Forever bond program and consider contributing, the senior rental housing program runs parallel to federal subsidies to aid renters. In either case, local government leaders are pushing for aid from state and federal authorities.
“It’d be great to have state and federal governments participate in local programs,” he said.
Where and when to apply
The city will begin receiving applications on Dec. 9. Residents can pick up applications at the following locations:
▪ Miami City Hall, 3500 Pan American Dr., 33133
▪ Miami Riverside Center, 444 SW Second Ave., 33130
Any of the city’s 13 Neighborhood Enhancement Team (NET) offices:
▪ Allapattah NET at Curtis Park — 1897 NW 20th St., Miami, FL 33142
▪ Coconut Grove NET at City Hall — 3500 Pan American Dr., Miami, FL 33133
▪ Coral Way NET at Coral Gate Park — 1415 SW 32nd Ave., Miami, FL 33145
▪ Downtown / Brickell NET at Omni CRA Building — 1401 North Miami Ave., 2nd Floor, Miami, FL 33136
▪ Flagami NET at Antonio Maceo Park — 5135 NW Seventh St., Miami, FL 33126
▪ Little Haiti NET at the Arthur E. Teele Jr. Community Center — 6301 NE Second Ave., Miami, FL 33138
▪ Little Havana NET — 1300 SW 12th Ave., Miami, FL 33129
▪ Marlins Park NET — 1502 NW Fourth St., Miami, FL 33125
▪ Model City NET at North District Substation — 1000 NW 62nd St., Miami, FL 33150
▪ Overtown NET at Overtown Shopping Center — 1490 NW Third Ave., 112-B, Miami, FL 33136
▪ Upper Eastside NET at Legion Park — 6599 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, FL 33138
▪ Wynwood / Edgewater NET at Roberto Clemente Park — 101 NW 34th St., Miami, FL 33125
▪ NET Administration Office at Green Lab — 151 NW 27th Ave., Miami, FL 33125
Important: Applications must be mailed to the following address and postmarked by Jan. 31:
ATTN: City of Miami
Senior Rental Assistance Program
P.O. Box #013581
Miami, FL 33101
All completed forms received during the application period will be considered as applying at the same time, according to city officials. All eligible applications go through a computerized lottery process to create a waiting list. Once the list is created, administrators will give a preference to housing that receives assistance from the city over other subsidized housing within city limits.
“Anything helps”
Suarez, Reyes and commissioners Joe Carollo and Ken Russell unveiled the program at a press conference Tuesday morning at the Brisas del Mar apartment building in Little Havana. About 50 senior residents filled the community room for the announcement.
Carollo complimented the program and said it was necessary, but he said that it simply doesn’t go far enough. An estimated 700 to 800 people could receive rental assistance, assuming each renter receives the maximum $100. Carollo said this likely leaves thousands without a subsidy they could use, and the city needs to expand its efforts to help seniors and other low-income residents with their cost of living, whether through subsidies or construction of new low-income housing projects.
He also criticized the 11-day application period, saying it’s not enough time to allow residents to understand the program and fill out the four-page application. He said that at the Dec. 12 commission meeting, he intended to ask the administration to extend the application period.
“We want this to be a fair process for everyone in the broadest way possible,” he said.
At the Dec. 12 meeting, commissioners agreed to extend the deadline to Jan. 31, 2020.
Building resident Teresa Pereira said her rent has increased twice in the past year and a half, first by $50, then by another $100. Each increase forces her to change her budget and consider where to cut back. She hopes to be selected to receive a subsidy.
“It would make a difference,” she said.
Here is the application form:
This story was originally published December 3, 2019 at 4:30 AM.
