Homeless / Street Cleaning

Our vision for working together for a Better Decoplage has already been implemented. We spearheaded a Community Outreach Committee and have proven the effectiveness of a committee working together with the City of Miami Beach to accomplish the common goal of moving the homeless and cleaning-up Lincoln Road. We will continue these efforts that benefit all Decoplage residents and fully intend to expand the goals of the Community Outreach Committee once elected.

With our first effort relative to the homeless and street cleaning, we showed that by working together, we can make a significant impact on the lives of those affected. Homelessness does not affect just the homeless. It affects all of us. We believe that together, we can find and implement sustainable solutions. Working collaboratively, we will help ensure success of the plan to help the homeless and keep the 100 Block of Lincoln Road safe and clean for the Decoplage residents and their guests.

We created and launched a Community Outreach Committee to take this challenge head-on. We held our first meeting on August 18, 2023. Our agenda was, as follows:

  1. Overview of the Homeless Situation on the 100 Block of Lincoln Road

  2. Current Efforts and Programs Implemented by the Homeless Outreach Program

  3. Insights and Perspectives from the Miami Beach Police Officers on the Ground.

  4. Decoplage Condominium Property Manager's Input on the Impact and Concerns

  5. Identifying Collaborative Strategies to Address the Homelessness Problem

  6. Allocation of Resources to Execute Plan

  7. Open Discussion and Q&A

We were thrilled to be joined by high-ranking leaders of MBPD, including Chief Wayne Jones, the Office of Housing and Community Services, the Sanitation Department, the Director of Neighborhood Affairs Division, leaders from the Ritz Carlton and the General Manager of the Sagamore and Better Streets Miami Beach. Also joining us, at the invitation of Ritz Carlton owner Dayssi Kanavos, were local business representatives of New Gables Capital, and the Dana Agency.

As a father of two young girls, Felipe Montoya shared his perspective of the homeless and filth and Natalia Perlova shared her perspectives as a single woman, Bonnie and Steve Pick as retirees, and Kim Garofalo as a married woman. All of this information was well-received. The collaborative energy in the meeting was tremendous and everyone, including Police Chief Jones, agreed that these discussions should continue as they will help guide efforts of the police, the homeless outreach and sanitation and all of this will benefit the Decoplage Community and make this block safer and cleaner.

This meeting was incredibly successful and we will keep the conversation going with the next meeting already scheduled for September 21, 2023, and open to all Decoplage residents. We will continue to work closely with all city officials, committees and residents to right the ship.

Please keep checking our website for more details on this meeting and our efforts to work together for a Better Decoplage.