What’s going on: This week, the County Board of Commissioners will decide whether to renew the residency waiver of the Chair of the Homeless Trust, Ron Book, which allows him to head the Trust despite not residing within the county.

We urge all residents of Miami Dade County to raise their voices and demand Commissioners to vote “NO” on renewing Mr. Book’s waiver, effectively terminating him from the Trust.

Here's why: Mr. Book routinely imposes policies on the Trust that more closely align with the interests of his private sector clients, including private prison companies, rather than the needs of Miami’s most vulnerable residents. He has supported terminating the Pottinger Agreement that protected Miami’s homeless population. He believes that government must compound the suffering of people experiencing homelessness in order to compel them to seek shelter — which he admits is not available for all of Miami’s homeless residents.

Most alarmingly, Mr. Book helped to enact HB 1365, which makes sleeping in public places unlawful throughout the state, thus triggering a crisis within municipalities. Given the extraordinary criminalization climate created by HB 1365, we need new leadership at the Homeless Trust. We need a leader that believes in Trauma Informed principles and who listens to the voices of those effected by homelessness. Before the termination of the Pottinger Agreement, Miami was on track to serve as a model for the rest of the nation of how to end homelessness without criminalization. Since Mr. Book supported termination of the agreement, homelessness has risen in the area. We must have new inspired leadership at the Homeless Trust to guide us through the difficult circumstances that lie ahead.

How you can help: Email your comments to the Board in advance of the meeting using this form.

You can also attend the meeting to make public comment in person if you are able to do so. The meeting will be Wednesday, November 20th, 2024 at 9:30am at the Government Center in Downtown Miami. If you can attend the meeting in person check out this Google Doc with instructions for making a public comment at the meeting and talking points.