The new Norwegian Cruise Line campus of Camillus House opened its doors Friday.
“It means that it's the next step in securing Camillus House’s vision of having Miami be the first city in the country to end chronic homelessness,” said Bob Dickenson, the chairman of the board of the organization.
He said the journey to Friday’s ribbon-cutting began in 2003, and that the $84 million campus is a giant step forward for Miami, where Camillus House’s hospitality can live on.
"Even at our old, rundown shelter that's 50-plus years old, we were still able to attract the homeless. And they knew they were safe, they knew they were secure, and they knew that they would be treated with respect and dignity,” Dickenson said.
The facility will be able to sleep 340 people and house 190 residents. It includes a dining hall, a teaching kitchen, a large community room, state-of-the-art bathrooms and an auditorium.
The number of chronic homeless in Miami-Dade County is estimated at 600 to 800 now. Camillus House hopes that number will go down to zero in the next seven years.
"We think we’re going to end homelessness,” said Karen Mahar, the vice president of strategy management. “We really believe it.”
