Miami-Dade Country Homeless Trust

What is the Homeless Trust, and how does Camillus House relate to it?

The Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust was created in 1993 by the Board of County Commissioners to:

• To administer the proceeds of a one-percent food and beverage tax.
• To implement the Miami-Dade County Community Homeless Plan, the local continuum of care plan.
• To serve in an advisory capacity to the Board of County Commissioners on issues involving homelessness.

The Trust is not a direct service provider. Instead, it is responsible for the implementation of policy initiatives developed by the 27-member Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust Board, and the monitoring of contract compliance by agencies contracted with the County, through the Trust, for the provision of housing and services for homeless persons. Camillus House is one of these agencies.

Through its policies and procedures, the Trust also oversees the utilization of the food and beverage tax proceeds dedicated for homeless purposes, as well as other funding sources, to ensure the implementation of the goals of the plan. Additionally, the Trust has served as lead applicant on behalf of the County for federal and state funding opportunities, and developing and implementing the annual process to identify gaps and needs of the homeless continuum.

The Trust's annual budget is approximately $37 million, comprised of local food and beverage proceeds, as well as Department of Housing and Urban Develop (HUD) and state funding. Approximately $20 million per year comes through a competitive process via HUD, $11 million via the Food and Beverage tax, and the remainder through State funding and private sector contributions.

The Trust is a proprietary department and receives no general fund dollars from the County. The Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust Board is comprised of a 27-member, broad-based membership representing numerous sectors of our community.

Camillus House is an active participant in Homeless Trust activities, with Camillus staff holding a seat on the Trust’s Board of Directors and participating in the Trust’s planning and advocacy efforts. Camillus currently maintains 14 contracts with the Homeless Trust.