By Lorenzo W. Snelling | Special to Le Floridien
A diverse county, Haitian-Americans constitute about 7 percent of the population in Miami-Dade, according to the 2020 U.S. Census.
Most Haitian-Americans live in cities such as North Miami, North Miami Beach, Miami, Miami Gardens and Homestead.
And facing the same pressing issues as other diverse groups in the county, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava is leveling the playing field for Haitian-Americans for services including affordable housing programs, resources for small businesses, immigration, and an investment made in the Haitian community by way of Community Based Organization partners.
During an exclusive interview at her County Hall office, Levine Cava outlined the county’s plan to address issues in the Haitian-American community.
And what better way to have representation in the mayor’s office than her Deputy Chief of staff Cassandra Arnold, a Haitian-American, who is among the highest ranking staff members in the mayor’s administration.
Levine Cava said Miami-Dade has one of the largest Haitian-American populations in Florida and she wants her office to have representation from the community.
“The office is well staffed,” she said.
Arnold is among several high ranking Haitian-Americans working the mayor’s office.
Arnold, who previously served as the Director of Constituent Services for the mayor’s office, now oversees the Equity and Engagement team.
She was Deputy Chief of Staff for Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick before her return to County Hall.
“As a Haitian American, I am proud and honored to serve in the capacity of our amazing equity and engagement team,” said Arnold. “This team works with community and faith leaders, nonprofit organizations, and the community at large to ensure that there is equitable representation at all levels, while engaging and empowering our county residents to get involved in their government.”
Levine Cava said Arnold had successfully led a variety of strategic initiatives to ensure that all residents’ voices are heard.
“She brings a wealth of experience in community outreach, especially with the Haitian community,” she said. “I’m grateful she’s choden to rejoin the team as we work to build a more inclusive Miami-Dade for all.”
Before her political career began, Levine Cava assisted Haitian-Americans as an immigration attorney and social worker, so she is familiar with the issues they currently face.
“I have been involved in the Haitian-American community for 40 years,” she said.
Levine Cava, who became the first woman and Jewish American Miami-Dade mayor in 2020, underscored the importance of building a rapport with the Haitian-American community.
She said the county also works with volunteers including North Miami City Clerk Vanessa Joseph, a Haitian-American, who’s also an attorney and sits on two boards at the county-level.
Joseph is also a volunteer for a non-profit organization which helps South Florida’s immigrant population.
Levine Cava also developed a relationship with County Commissioner Marleine Bastien over the years before she sat on the board.
For over 40 years, Bastien was also a social worker and championed women’s rights, and she founded Family Action Network Movement which assists low income families with immigration reform, health care, housing, job training and job placement.
Levine Cava endorsed Bastien in 2022 when she first ran for political office.
For services, the county’s Strive 305 program helps about 10,000 mom and pops businesses in the county, most of them Haitian-owned.
The county launched the free virtual small business incubator with Florida International University last year, a program designed to help small and micro businesses with educational resources including marketing and learning QuickBooks software.
The marketing course will be released in English, Spanish and Creole.
“I affirm that we are the most creative and innovative place on the planet,” said Levine Cava.”We’re going to have a full library of entrepreneurial resources on demand on any device.”
A continuation of Thrive305, the county’s Community-Based Organization (CBO) strengthens partnership with the community by offering grant programs for non-profits, faith-based groups and other formal and informal initiatives that provide social services to assist residents with human, educational, economic, health and public safety.
The mayor also said the county increased business grants from $25,000 to $50,000, and allocated funding for the Haitian-American Chamber of Commerce and the Haitian-American Lawyers Association.
To address a nationwide growing problem, the county is partnering with Mommy Metro Agency in an effort to reduce maternal mortality.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the rate for maternal mortality among Black women was higher than Hispanic and White women, 66.9 deaths per 100,000 live births.
Metro Mommy Agency was created to close the gaps for maternal mortality rate for all women but also focus Black, Haitian-American and Hispanic women who are at a higher risk of dying during or after childbirth.
The agency improves the quality and condition of maternity care for women in the county by providing increased access to doula services.
An issue that’s a top priority for the mayor is the affordable housing crisis.
The county’s record $11.7 billion for the current fiscal year funds about $85 million for affordable housing programs and federal dollars are also allocated to help the county alleviate the shortage.
Through the county’s Tenant-Based Rental Assistance program, residents who are at risk of being evicted and homeless can apply for rental assistance.
Levine Cava also said the county’s affordable housing program allows developers to build at higher density for affordable housing and workforce housing.
“We’ve prevented 25,000 households from eviction and are providing legal support, counseling support, relocation assistance, everything we possibly can to deal with this ongoing crisis,” she said.
Levine Cava said before she became a County Commissioner, her organization was involved in affordable housing and workforce housing issues and she sponsored legislation to build affordable units in her district after she was first elected to office in 2013.
She said the county declared an affordable housing crisis in 2020.
The Haitian-American community can also benefit from the county’s vendor academy program in which Miami-Dade trains vendors seeking to do business in the county.
