About Us

The Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust serves as the lead agency for Miami-Dade County’s homeless Continuum of Care (CoC), responsible for the oversight, planning and operations of the entire CoC including:
- Administering proceeds of a one-percent (1%) Food and Beverage Tax. Miami-Dade had the first dedicated funding source for homelessness in the United States – a unique 1% Food and Beverage Tax which is foundational to the funding of the Homeless Trust today.
- Implementing the Miami-Dade County Community Homeless Plan: Priority Home which provides a framework for preventing and ending homelessness in Miami-Dade County.
- Serving as the collaborative applicant for federal and state funding opportunities.
- Administering grants and overseeing operations and fiscal activities for over 120 housing and services programs operated by more than 20 competitively selected non-profit providers and government entities.
- Managing Miami-Dade County’s Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), the local technology system used to collect client-level data on the provision of housing and services to homeless individuals and families and persons at risk of homelessness.
- Developing policy and serving in an advisory capacity to the Board of County Commissioners on issues involving homelessness.
- Pursue a dedicated source of funding/private sector funding
- Create a body with diverse representation to implement plan
- Research best practices to address homelessness and develop goals for implementation
This tax is collected on all food and beverage sales in restaurants which gross more than $400,000 a year and are licensed by the State of Florida to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises, except for hotels and motels. The tax is collected throughout Miami-Dade County with the exception of facilities in Miami Beach, Surfside and Bal Harbour. The levying of the tax required the creation of a community plan. The Homeless Trust Board created by county ordinance is responsible for the implementation of the Miami-Dade County Community Homeless Plan: Priority Home.
Chapman Partnership serves as the private sector partner to the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust and is commissioned by the Homeless Trust to operate two Homeless Assistance Centers which have assisted more than 100,000 individuals and families during its 20+ year history.
As a result of the CoC’s work, under the leadership of the Homeless Trust, unsheltered homelessness in Miami-Dade has gone from more than 8,000 people fewer than 1,100 persons. In 2019, the Homeless Trust recorded record low homeless totals. Currently, the Homeless Trust has more than 8,000 beds/units in its Housing Inventory Count dedicated to serving persons who are homeless and formerly homelessThe Homeless Trust is led by a 27-member Board of Trustees which includes representation from the city and business community, elected officials, formerly homeless persons, religious leaders and homeless advocates. The full Board meets monthly. Meetings are broadcast live. Archived meetings are also available to the public.
Board of Trustees
Ronald L. Book, Esq.
Chairman
Rabbi Solomon Schiff
Vice Chair
Judge Steven Leifman
11th Judicial Circuit of Florida
Treasurer
Stephen Alvarez
Executive Director
New Hope CORPS
Ricky Arriola
Commissioner
City of Miami Beach
Raéann Bacchus
Regional Managing Director
Florida Department of Children and Families
Cleveland Bell III
Executive Director
Riverside House
Lynne Cameron
Executive Director
Neighbors 4 Neighbors
Alberto M. Carvalho
Superintendent
Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Ana Castilla
President
Miami Homes for All, Inc.
Josie Legido Correa
Business Development Manager
Juneau Construction Company
Hilda M. Fernandez
Chief Executive Officer
Camillus House
Oliver G. Gilbert III
Mayor
City of Miami Gardens
Carlos A. Gimenez
Mayor
Miami-Dade County
Carlos Fernandez Guzman
President
Pacific National Bank
Joanne Karmade
Homeless/Formerly Homeless Forum, Inc.
Carlos Migoya
President & CEO
Public Health Trust
Jackson Health Systems
Patrick G. Morris
Community Affairs Officer South Florida
Wells Fargo Bank
Dennis C. Moss
Commissioner, District 9
Miami-Dade County
Arthur Noriega
Manager
City of Miami
Sandra Newson
Vice President of Resident Services
Carrfour Supportive Housing
Father Patrick O'Neil
Greater Miami Religious Leaders Coalition
Francis Suarez
Mayor
City of Miami
Pauline Clarke Trotman
Housing Director
Better Way of Miami
Tony Villasuso
Programs Director
Miami Rescue Mission
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Victoria L. Mallette
Executive Director
- Executive Committee
- Finance and Audit Committee
- Housing and Services Development Committee
- Performance Evaluation Committee
- CoC Subcommittee
- Youth Homelessness Working Group
Public Records
Victoria L. Mallette
Public Records Custodian
111 NW 1st Street, 27th Floor
Miami, FL 33128
(305) 375-1490
vmallette@miamidade.gov