Building evacuated in Miami-Dade? Where to get help

Have you been ordered to leave your home?

Perhaps your building was deemed structurally unsafe while its recertification process was underway, like what happened at an apartment building in North Miami Beach and at a building in the Florida Keys.

Maybe you’re displaced because a fire damaged your home.

Whatever the case, you now need a place to stay. Your landlord might try to help by refunding your security deposit and rent for the month. Maybe they’ll even pay for a few nights at a hotel or motel.

But you need more help — and apartment-hunting isn’t easy, especially with the rising cost of living in South Florida. You have other expenses to worry about, too.

Resources are available to help pay rent or find a temporary place to stay in Miami-Dade.

Here’s a running list:

Homeless Trust

▪ Miami-Dade County’s Homeless Trust lists resources online for people who are at risk or experiencing homelessness. If you need additional homeless prevention assistance, call the hotline at 877-994-4357‬, select a language and press 1 to discuss your situation and possible next steps. Press 5 for shelter registration. Information on homeless prevention assistance can also be obtained by calling or visiting any of Miami-Dade’s Community Resource Centers.

AXIS Helps Miami

▪ Axis Helps Miami has a list of resources for Miami-Dade residents who need financial help, including for people who need temporary housing, help in finding a new place to live, or rent and food assistance. The website, axishelps.org, lists information about programs, if there’s a deadline and how to apply. Some of the programs are countywide and others are specific to cities.

Lotus House

▪ Lotus House offers support services to women and children who are homeless, including victims of domestic violence. If you’re a youth or domestic violence victim and need shelter, call 305-438-0556 or email [email protected]. If not, the organization asks that you call the Miami Homeless Program at 305-960-4980 first. To learn about the type of services Lotus House offers, visit lotushouse.org.

Miami VA

▪ Miami VA Healthcare System offers a variety of programs to help South Florida veterans who are at risk of being homeless or who are already experiencing homelessness. Veterans who are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness should contact the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-4AID-VET (877-424-3838) for assistance.

Miami-Dade County

▪ People who are homeless or were evicted can apply through Miami-Dade County for help with their first month’s rent payment, security deposit, mortgage, utility bills, emergency shelter or food.

Assistance is based on availability of funds and provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Eligible applicants can apply for rental utility and food assistance separately or all at once. Each is available once a year.

The county’s first-month assistance program, for example, is for people who are homeless or were evicted from a prior residence and can provide a lease agreement stating the terms of occupancy. Maximum aid possible: $1,000.

To apply, visit one of the county’s 12 community resource centers. The centers are spread out across the county, including in Homestead, Hialeah, Wynwood and Liberty City.

The county also has an emergency food and shelter program for people who are experiencing a “one-time crisis” that interrupts their ability to pay utility bills/rent/mortgage or secure food, including having their work hours reduced, paying for an unexpected emergency such as a car repair or having their SNAP benefits reduced or stopped. The program also provides assistance for temporary shelter. Anyone who applies will need to show proof of the crisis through documents.

Miami-Dade households whose income doesn’t exceed 80% of the County Median Income (varies by how many people live in your household), are experiencing financial hardships during the COVID-19 pandemic, and are struggling to pay monthly rent may be eligible to apply for the county’s emergency rental program. For eligibility requirements and to apply, visit https://www.miamidade.gov/global/housing/emergency-rental-assistance-program.page

This list will be updated.

This story was originally published April 6, 2022 12:47 PM.