As climate change pushes us west, how do we protect historic Miami neighborhoods?

A new term has arisen in the literature dealing with climate change. They call it “climate gentrification,” and it is confusing to put it mildly.

Let’s break it down.

There is no doubt that the concerns of sea level rise are propelling a westward shift in new development. When we’re told that seashore properties will be subjected to an additional couple of feet of sea level, it is logical that inland properties will become more desirable. It’s a simple matter of math: Seaside elevations are typically at 3-feet-above sea level, whereas Little Haiti, Overtown and Little Havana lie at seven to 10-feet.

But perhaps the most inexorable pressure towards westward development is simply that we’re running out of buildable land next to the ocean.

So the question is not how we prevent market forces, but how to alleviate displacement of historic residents, including those who built historic neighborhoods in West Grove, Little Haiti, Overtown and Little Havana.

Let’s see what we can learn from what we’re doing in the West Grove and Overtown: I call it “Reverse Gentrification,” and it has the following parameters:

<bullet>As with the Southeast Overtown/Park West (SEOPW) CRA, the most important factor to avoid displacement is to supply substantial economic incentives to existing residents and businesses. The funding mechanism of a community redevelopment agency (CRA) is based on pledging future real estate taxes to borrow money for present capital projects. The SEOPW CRA has been very successful in that effort producing bonds in excess of one hundred million dollars and redevelopment of similar magnitude.

<bullet>A lot of displacement happens when people in the inner city become disgusted with their neighborhood schools, parks and other amenities. What we have done in the West Grove is to reverse those trends and pump government and private funds into after-school programs, beautification projects, and affordable housing initiatives that give people alternatives to cashing in on their increasingly valuable real estate. (By way of example, both elementary schools in the West Grove are now categorized as having Grade A academic achievement.)

<bullet>Much of urban blight can be eliminated without displacing residents. In the West Grove, South Miami, and Coral Gables, we have done that through funding mechanisms and non-governmental agencies such as Rebuilding Together and Habitat for Humanity which tap into human capital and existing real estate so as to rehab rather than replace historic homes. Over 100 residential units, including four shotgun shacks and nine homes in the Lola B. Walker neighborhood, plus about 80 single-family homes in South Miami, have been renovated in this collaborative fashion.

<bullet>A lot of the success we have had in my district has been based on engaging organizations and property owners who are already there and empowered by their own investment. In the West Grove, we have been blessed with the entrepreneurial foresight of property owners like the Gibson Plaza ownership consortium and the owners of Grove United to Succeed (GUTS). We didn’t have to invent these folks or provide capital for their acquisition of property. They were smart enough to do that themselves and ride out years of neglect until government began to pay attention to them and provide gap financing and other governmental incentives.

Reverse gentrification is not easy. And climate gentrification is not inevitable.

Enlightened government can use climate change to bring resources to bear in a way that long-time residents are not only respected, but encouraged to stay and enjoy the comparative advantage of their geography.

Xavier L. Suarez represents District 7 in the County Commissioner. He is currently running for mayor of Miami-Dade.

This story was originally published November 18, 2019 at 4:39 PM.