While state, feds have failed, Miami Mayor Suarez can get money to the neediest | Editorial
As the other side of the coronavirus quarantine comes fuzzily into view, so, too, does the dire financial plight expected to befall some of Miami’s most vulnerable residents in the next few months. In fact, for many, that plight already has descended.
With few unemployment benefits in hand yet, and with restaurants, hotels and other low-paying service industries hiring in phases, there will be a lot financial hurt in the city of Miami.
Mayor Francis Suarez has come up with common-sense idea to ease the pain for low-income — and now no-income — residents. The mayor’s plan, which he will unveil on Friday, calls for diverting $2.2 million in federal grant money to create an emergency fund to help Miami residents affected by the COVID-19 shutdown. The assistance money will come in real time to help those on the verge of financial disaster, letting them keep a roof over their heads and feed their families.
“This money will go to help those who are really in need,” Suarez told the Editorial Board.
Eligible will be those living at or below the median income level, the mayor said.
In the lead
In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, Suarez says Miami is the “first city in the county, maybe the country” to give money for such basic needs. It shows Miami is trying to take care of its most vulnerable residents. That can never be a bad plan.
We all know that Miami’s economic inequality is among the most extreme in the country, and that will only come into harsher focus as Miami’s economy tries to bounce back. The Miami metro area is home to some 30 full-time-resident billionaires — one of the highest concentrations in the world. Many live near a downtown where widespread poverty chokes residents like mold.
Miami also has the highest poverty rate for seniors. African-American residents are two-and-a-half times more likely to live in poverty than white residents, with Hispanics twice as likely, an FIU economic report revealed last year.
Well-versed in these devastating demographics, Suarez is working to hold back the perfect storm. In this town, $2.2 million won’t go far enough, so it must be distributed in a way that has added value to residents’ ability to stay afloat.
Help for businesses
The leg-up for residents comes as the city is also announcing it will help struggling small businesses. At Thursday’s commission, the city will announce a program to distribute $1 million to keep many of those businesses afloat. Commissioners will consider approving that and other measures as a package of assistance programs that aim to help local businesses survive the economic downturn brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. All should be approved swiftly.
The city should take a lesson from the state and the federal governments’ money-distribution failures. Any financial aid promised to those affected by the coronavirus must be made available quickly, with eligibility criteria stringent, but clear and the process to secure financial assistance well-oiled.
The mayor and commissioners should make sure that the city’s good intentions are not bogged down by red tape. It helps that Gov. DeSantis, earlier this month, suspended evictions and foreclosures for 45 days, a bit of breathing room for residents who already have fallen behind.
However, the first of the month is always just around the corner.
This story was originally published April 23, 2020 at 5:00 AM.