Monday 8 August 2022 06:22 PM Miami residents vent fury at plans to dump 100 homeless people on nearby island trends now
Miami has paused plans to dump more than 100 homeless people into an encampment next to the wealthiest zip code in America after an uproar from residents.
Fisher Island locals demanded authorities find another place to lump them after proposals were etched out for a series of 'tiny homes' on Biscayne Bay island.
A town hall Zoom chat saw scientists, water sports enthusiasts and homeless advocates burst into uproar at the idea late last week.
It comes after Miami-Dade's Board of County Commissioners asked city officials to pitch ideas on how to mitigate its homeless population in the city, which has spiraled to more than 1,500.
The City Manager Art Noriega suggested the encampment on the northern tip of the Virginia Key island next to a sewage works and a biking trail as a solution.
But Miamians quickly shot down any proposal for the area amid concerns over tourism, safety and the welfare of the camp's future residents, with it now placed on hold.
The solution to Miami's homeless problem echoed a similar idea earlier set out by Donald Trump to tackle the issue across the country.
Miami residents have erupted in fury at plans to dump more than 100 homeless people into an encampment next to the wealthiest zip code in America
Fisher Island locals demanded authorities find another place to lump them after plans were etched out for a series of 'tiny homes' on the small plot of land
A view of encampments near the sidewalk belonging to homeless people in downtown Miami on October 17, 2021
Pictured: A mockup of the dormitory structure tents proposed for the Miami project
The plan offers options to establish 50 to 150 rooms for homeless people through tents, with prices ranging from more than $719,000 to nearly $1.68 million
The Zoom chat, with more than 200 residents in it when it was held on Thursday night, was flooded with criticism for the plan.
One said: 'This will be a bigger mistake than the Metro Rail system.' Another wrote: 'Bad, Bad idea. Bunch of dummies.'
Another posted: 'Are the homeless that are going to be housed illegal immigrants or are we first going to house homeless US Citizens?
'If we're putting tax dollars to not even take care of US citizens then we need to refocus altogether.' Another said: 'These 'Tiny homes' would be for rent on Airbnb.'
And one more added on Facebook after the event: 'Well there goes Virginia Key. Imagine seeing a homeless encampment from your house.'
Director of marketing and operations at Virginia Key Outdoor Center Diana Perez said: 'It's kind of insane to get everyone in Miami to agree on something—and everyone agrees this is a terrible idea. People are really mad, man.'
The firm's owner Esther Alonso said: 'You're taking the chronically homeless, shelter resistant population, bringing them to an isolated area, removing them from everything they know.
'This is a city park. This is a park where families come, where children come. This is a place where the environment has rebounded.
'It is a beautiful natural area; we're next to a preserve. This is not the place for any development at all, whether it's a homeless encampment or a hotel or any other type of large structure.'
The Miami Bike Scene group said: 'We are strongly opposed to ANY type of Temporary Shelter Option (Tiny Home, Dormitory Structure, Modular Unit Structure, Folding Unit Structure) on Virginia Key.'
Along with complaints that the encampment would border the island's bike trail, they argued it was two miles from the nearest bus stop and the island was filled with mosquitoes and vermin.
Meanwhile a petition set up to oppose the plan - which they claim has been 'discretely approved' has more than 13,000 signatures.
Miami's proposal, published last Tuesday, details a plan to establish as many as nine large tents, which can hold up to 22 people, and a parking lot in the northern tip of the Virginia Key.
The plan offers a 50-room set-up within three of the tents, at $719,573. A plan for 100 rooms within five tents would cost $1million, and 150-room setup with the maximum allowed tents would cost more than $1.6million.
It would include air conditioning units for each tent, as well as bathrooms and showers for the occupants. Aside from the tents, the plan lays