Miami

Advocates Urging Miami Beach Commissioners to Approve Tax to Help Homeless Community

What to Know

  • The group recently announced a $10 million commitment to help create housing for homeless individuals and domestic violence victims.

Advocates for the homeless community in South Florida are working to get three coastal cities to join the coalition paying a food and beverage tax to help in their efforts.

Members of the Homeless Trust will ask Miami Beach city commissioners to join the group at their meeting Wednesday – hoping the city will enact a one percent food and beverage tax at certain restaurant that funds part of the group’s budget to provide services to the homeless in Miami-Dade County.

The group recently announced a $10 million commitment to help create housing for homeless individuals in Miami Beach as well as domestic violence victims – while hoping that the 23 percent increase in homelessness over the last year in the city, according to a January census, will sway commissioners into approving the measure.

When Miami-Dade County approved the tax nearly a quarter century ago, Miami Beach was among three cities that were exempt from it – along with Bal Harbour and Surfside.

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