Registering for ToursA limited number of tours, designed for urban researchers, are available during the Conference. Conference attendees can register for tours in advance via the
online registration form or in-person at the conference registration office located on the 2nd floor of the InterContinental Hotel in the Chopin Ballroom. Tours have limited space. So if you are interested, it is wise to register and pay your tour fees as soon as possible. Our most popular tours will likely become full by early January.
ALL tours begin at 1:00pm. Tour participants will meet in the hotel lobby at 12:45pm before departure. Tour 5: Community Response to Homelessness and Poverty in Miami Saturday, April 11 – 1:00pm-5:00pm
Price: $28
Capacity: TBD
Tour Organizer: Dr. Karen Mahar, Executive Director of the Institute of Homelessness Studies at Camillus House.
Tour Leader: Dr. Paul R. Ahr, President and CEO of Camillus House
In 2013 more than 18,000 individuals experienced homelessness in Miami-Dade County. While many of the causes mirror those found at national level, including primarily persistent, chronic poverty and the decimation of affordable housing, Miami’s situation is also influenced by local factors including immigration, the highest rate of mental illness in the US, an entrenched crack cocaine trade, and limited or no public benefits available to single adults. Miami also benefits from a unique sales tax dedicated to funding homelessness services and a strong private-public partnership in the form of the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust. This tour will explore many facets of homelessness in Miami, focusing on organizations with the Overtown neighborhood, Miami’s poorest area which is home to a disproportionate number of homeless shelters and housing programs.
The tour will begin at the Camillus House campus, the newest location of Miami’s oldest organization serving persons who are homeless. This 5-building campus is specially designed to meet the needs of persons who are homeless and suffering from a behavioral health disorder such as mental illness or addiction, and houses more than 420 individuals each night. After nearly 20 years of “Not In My BackYard (NIMBY)” fighting with the local community, the campus opened in 2012 with the support of the City, County, and local neighbors. Here participants will learn about the factors that drive homelessness in Miami, while also learning about the varied programs and services developed by Camillus, the Miami-Dade Homeless Trust and other community providers in response. This includes innovative outreach programs and low demand emergency housing, combined with an array of permanent housing options including Housing First and other models. After Camillus House, tour participants will also hear from the City of Miami police department regarding law enforcement’s perspective on homelessness and compliance With the Pottinger consent degree, a 1994 court consent decree aimed at protecting homeless individuals by limiting law enforcements’ power to arrest them and seize their property. The tour will conclude with visits to other service providers in the Overtown community (TBA) , covering a range of models and responses to poverty and homelessness. Participants will leave the tour with a better understanding not only of the Overtown community itself, but also of how current trends of urban poverty and homelessness are playing out in the center of a major global city.
