PACT | Housing

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	People Acting for Community Together Pueblo Actuando para Communidad entre Todos Pep k' Aji pou Kominote Tet Ansanm Diverse Congregations, Schools and Community Groups Working Together for Fairness and Justice

Housing

There is a housing crisis right now in South Florida. The median sales price of existing homes in Miami-Dade is over $380,000, putting home ownership out of reach for many residents. In 2005, 13,468 rental units were converted to condos and the numbers have continued to rise at an alarming pace. Developers are not building new rentals, and renters are getting squeezed with higher rents and fewer choices. With the rapid pace of development in the city of Miami, many residents are feeling pressure from investors to sell their homes or are being pushed out of the area due to skyrocketing rental rates.

Past Accomplishments
In the 1990s, PACT negotiated tens of millions of dollars in community reinvestment. PACT forged agreements with local banks to set aside funding for mortgages to working families in lower income areas. Those agreements resulted in hundreds of families earning the opportunity to own their own homes.

Since those campaigns, the entire banking industry has improved their products available to serve working families.

Current Campaign Focus
PACT’s current focus is ensuring widespread availability of low-income housing in Miami-Dade County.

As a member of the Countywide Coalition for Emergency Housing Relief, PACT is working with Miami Workers Center, Florida Legal Services, Power U Center for Social Change, ACORN, Human Services Coalition of Dade County, Haitian Women of Miami, and SEIU Local 11 in the fight for low-income affordable housing. The group participated in an overnight vigil on September 19th, 2006 in front of the Stephen P. Clark Government Center, demanding $200 million for affordable housing funding in the county budget. PACT and other coalition members also attended the county budget hearing the next evening and were promised $19 million for low-income housing. There is currently a pending proposal that would deliver the full $200 million the housing coalition has asked for.

PACT’s Housing Committee is investigating possible solutions to the housing crisis.

Committee Co-Chairs:
Fr. Jorge Noda (Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church)
Anthony Colón (Human Services Coalition)

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