The affordable housing scandals in Miami made national news with the Pulitzer Prize winning Miami Herald investigative report.Tucked in the crevice of the scandal are the people who were victims, like displaced resident Mary Nesbitt. Not satisfied with being a victim, she stood up for her community and became a voice for the 1,200 families displaced by the destruction of Scott-Carver homes for what was to be Hope VI. She recently said, about the attempt by HUD to place federal control over the Miami Dade Housing Agency:
“They want to argue over who controls housing here in Miami. Well its just changing one set of crooks for another. These are powerful people playing political games, trying to make themselves more powerful. We are down here suffering, simply trying to get our voices heard. Give us what we need: a new plan. Give us what we need: our community back.”
You can read about the issue Liberty City but not about Mary Nesbitt anymore. She died May 4th, a true community activist silenced.
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8 comments:
Now if we could only find some people like Mary Nesbitt to run for the Commission to shake this up and stand up for all the citizens of Miami Dade.
excellent idea....
Surfside, Florida emerged as a leading community in serving the public interest rather than special interests. Courageous, honest, and productive leadership was the hallmark of the Town of Surfside from 1992 - 2004. During that time, Mayor Paul Novack and the then serving Town Commission unanimously enact budget corrections and fiscally responsible policies and every year for 12 years the town operated under balanced, stable and efficient budgets, with production of increased levels of town services, and numerous capital projects undertaken and completed that upgraded the parks, playgrounds, streets, drainage system, business district, Veterans Park, Town Hall, and much more, all with no debt, no bonds, and with the building of significant town surplus funds to serve the town's present and future. The town attracted a new Publix and many new restaurants and shops for the business district and made improvements and expansions to town parking facilities. Plans were made for a new town library and hi-tech information center to go on newly acquired property on the west side of Collins Avenue. The town was internationally recognized as a model community, and in 2003 Novack was honored as the state-wide "Community Steward of the Year" in Tallahassee.
Paul Novack received the Community Steward Award for his steadfast advocacy for effective growth management in Surfside. In 1992, Surfside residents overwhelmingly supported a referendum to prevent a twenty-story beachfront condominium. For more than a decade after then, Novack has served as mayor of this small Dade County community for the grand fee of one dollar per year. Throughout his tenure, Novack and the town's commissioners have consistently denied any requests for height and density variances, maintaining heights at twelve stories east of Collins Avenue, and five stories to the west. Nominators wrote that, thanks to Mayor Novack, "the town's zoning code has been consistently, fairly and effectively enforced." Besides that, Novack has maintained a balanced budget without raising property taxes, there is a one-minute emergency police response time, and garbage is picked up six days a week for a nominal fee. During the selection process, 1000 Friends was impressed with Mayor Novack's steadfast determination to uphold the planning and development standards needed to maintain Surfside's distinctive character and scale, noted Pattison. "With his dynamic leadership abilities, commitment to sound planning, and concern for the residents of Surfside, Mayor Novack exemplifies the qualities of a true community steward."
Mayor Novack was elected by the voters six times to serve as mayor, not one variance for height or density or setbacks or uses were ever approved during his tenure, and he retired from office in 2004 with official tributes from the Florida House of Representatives, the Governor of Florida, Members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, and an official entry into the United States Congressional Record, and honors and thanks from many others from throughout the world.
The tribute to former Mayor Novak misses the point of the blog. How many poor live in Surfside? How much affordable housing was built in Surfside? There is no suggestion that there are no good elected officials. There is no question that housing in the region for poor and working families is in shambles.
yes, last anon, the point was missed by Novack fan....that is why i wrote the blog today about heroes:
It seems this person needed a place to post a comment about Mayor Novack.
Mayor Novack helped the poor in so many places, don't miss THAT point. He was devoted to doing the right thing near and far. Surfside. Miami. South Florida. Haiti. Dominican Republic. Honduras. An example of how a wealthy community can really care and put that caring into action to help those who need help the MOST. Learn from examples, role models, and see that a few people can make a real difference in many ways.
Failed public officials, who served only themselves, are responsible for the absence of affordable housing, for the overdevelopment that has damaged our quality of life, for the open doors to greed that we see all around us. It IS about the quality of public officials, and it is relevant to know of which ones fall on which side of that fence. The money is there, but it never went into helping the poor in South Florida. Why? Isn't it obvious? That just was not important to most of the public officials and power elite.
Want to know about the lack of affordable housing despite the huge influx of federal funds for low income housing projects and subsidies? ASK CHARLES BURKETT but do it while he is UNDER OATH
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