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City commissioners had rejected the plan in a first vote on the matter held late last July, but a change of heart by one member caused it to go forward in a second round.
The goal is to build 50 to 100 small houses for homeless people on Virginia Key, an island in Biscayne Bay linked to the mainland by a bridge leading to another island, Key Biscayne, one of Miami’s most elite residential locations.
The mayor announced that he will ask Miami commissioners to approve the suspension of the plan for at least 6 months, which will give the city time to further examine the plan and explore possible locations outside the city with the help of Miami-Dade County.
In turn, Suarez asked Miami-Dade Democratic Mayor Daniella Levine Cava for help, arguing that the city has two-thirds of Miami-Dade County’s population homeless, but only one-fifth of Miami-Dade County’s actual population.
The mayor said that they understood that it is an unfair burden on the city to have to take care of all the homeless without any help from Miami-Dade County.
Commissioner Carollo said Miami-Dade should not dump homeless people from all over the county into the city and stressed that county officials need to make sure they have enough shelters for the homeless.
Over the weekend, the plan for a housing settlement on Virginia Key sparked an outcry from neighbors who were concerned that the initiative would affect the environment and mean a loss of space for families.
City commissioners are expected to address the recommendation to postpone the plan in September.
The goal of the plan is to prevent people from living on the streets in tents and other living quarters.
Between 3,000 and 4,000 homeless people wander the streets of Miami-Dade County.
