Dennis Agalli has announced plans to help struggling families in Miami’s Little Haiti and Wynwood neighborhoods. The initiative comes after Miami recently announced that the city is experiencing an affordable housing crisis that is hurting middle and low-income families the most. Through this initiative, Agalli says that he plans to help preserve the neighborhood as locals struggle with rising rents.
Rental prices are rising rapidly in these neighborhoods as a result of millions of dollars in investments from real estate investors and developers. Rental prices have skyrocketed causing long-term residents of the community to seek out more affordable areas, such as Miramar and North Miami. Residents also believe that the threat of climate change is a major factor given that developers are looking to build new construction at a higher elevation than sea level.
Agalli says that the initiative will help to protect residents of Little Haiti as gentrification grips the area. Low-income families with children are the primary target of the initiative. Agalli is providing families with affordable rents at below market rate to help them stay in their homes.
The funds are being provided through NAHA, as the local organizations and government programs that were intended to address the problem have fallen short. This initiative also helps low-income families avoid having to find housing through government programs, such as Section 8.
The City of Miami Affordable Housing Master Plan revealed that low and moderate-income Miamiresidents already face heavy cost burdens when it comes to rent. Thousands of affordable housing rental units are required in order to meet this demand and the city has been unable to so far. Rents have also become too costly for low to moderate-income residents with the plan finding that many residents are spending upwards of 50% of their household incomes on rent.
Dennis Agalli is also working with City officials to find solutions. The affordable housing will enhance the quality of life for current Little Haiti and Wynwood residents, allowing them to remain in their homes.
The initiative comes as the ongoing plan to help mitigate the damage caused by gentrification to Little Haiti as the Magic City Innovation District® project takes shape. In 2021, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez announced that a $3 milliondonation would be made to the Little Haiti Revitalization Trust. That donation is just a fraction of the $31 million trust to increase affordable housing and business opportunities in Little Haiti.
Other historic Miami neighborhoods including Wynwood have already faced an affordable housing crisis for some time. The result is that the neighborhood has lost the majority of its former residents, who were primarily Puerto Rican and Cuban residents, along with artists and businesses.
Agalli predicts that affordable housing inventory can increase, making more units available to low-income residents, if the City officials act now.
“Every Miami resident should be able to afford the rent,” said Agalli. “To achieve that goal, we need the business community and our local officials to fully understand that everyone needs to be on board if we’re going to solve this crisis.”
To learn more about Dennis Agalli, go to https://donatoagalli.com/.
SOURCE Dennis Agalli