Miami-Dade OKs more COVID relief. This time for veterans, charities and MIA tenants

Douglas Hanks
·2 min read

Miami-Dade commissioners continued waiving fees and creating grants for businesses and others facing economic pain from the coronavirus pandemic, with about $65 million in relief approved on Tuesday.

Veterans in Miami-Dade will be reserved about $20 million in federal COVID relief awarded Miami-Dade under the CARES Act. A resolution by Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz instructs the administration of Mayor Carlos Gimenez to set up the fund to aid businesses owned by veterans and to help with rent and mortgage relief for veterans, as well as stipends for groceries and other needs. The resolution sets a deadline of 30 days to get the program running.

Commissioners also approved a $10 million relief plan for charities that was sponsored by Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava, a candidate for Miami-Dade mayor in 2020. The plan initially had $5 million in CARES reserved for non-profits, but commissioners doubled the amount on the spot.

“You’re really not talking about a whole lot of funding,” Commissioner Dennis Moss said. Commissioners will consider another $10 million in CARES relief for arts groups during a special meeting on Monday.

Commissioners also gave final approval Tuesday for a $5 million relief fund for restaurant workers. It was originally part of a $35 million aid effort for the restaurant industry approved last week, but commissioners waited until Tuesday to approve the worker piece. That program is being administered by Florida International University’s South Beach Wine and Food Festival’s own COVID relief fund.

Tenants at Miami International Airport had their rent-relief program extended until the end of the year, at a cost to the county-run airport of about $32 million, Director Lester Sola said.

Revenues from store and restaurant rent and other concessions, including rental cars, plunged about 90% in May, with about $70 million wiped out in sales.

“Since they’re not selling anything, it’s hard for them to pay us,” Sola said.

While traffic has been inching back up at MIA, Sola said only about 60 of more than 200 MIA tenants are even open for business. When the county first granted relief in April, labor unions pushed Miami-Dade to require benefits for workers in exchange for the county’s waiving mandatory rent payments. The effort failed.