The Home Mitigation Program - A Solution for All, or a "Lottery" for a Few?

We are seeing a lot of promotion for the Home Mitigation Program 2.0, but let's look at the actual numbers before we celebrate.

The Real Impact: The Funding: $1.25 million sounds like a lot, but it’s split four ways across various city needs. The Math: At $20k–$25k per home, this program will likely help fewer than 60 families in a city of over 15,000 households.

The Wait: There are already over 800 residents waiting for help from the previous program. For 95% of North Lauderdale, this isn't a "grant program"—it's a permanent waiting list.

My View:

We shouldn't be using one-time federal "COVID money" to fund a tiny lottery and call it a housing strategy.

As your Mayor, I will move away from "Image Branding" and toward sustainable, long-term funding that helps more than just 1% of our neighbors.

 Is a program that helps 60 people out of 15,000 really enough for North Lauderdale?

My Plan for a Transparent City Hall:Live Grant Dashboard: An online portal where you can track your application status in real-time.

No more guessing.30-Day Response Guarantee: A formal status update every 30 days. Communication is a right, not a privilege.

Administrative Accountability: Monthly public reports on processing times to ensure City Hall is working for you. North Lauderdale deserves more than a "luck of the draw" future. Let’s build something sustainable.

Clearing the 800+ Backlog

Phase 1: The "Clean Sweep" Audit The 800+ list is likely outdated.

My first 100 days will include an Eligibility Re-Verification Drive.  We will contact everyone on that list to see who still owns the home, who still qualifies, and who has already completed repairs.

This narrows the "real" list so we can focus resources on those in active need.

Phase 2: Tiered Prioritization Instead of a random "lottery," we will prioritize the list based on:

Senior & Veteran Status: Protecting our most vulnerable first.

Life-Safety Issues: Focusing on roofs and electrical systems that threaten the integrity of the home.

Length of Wait: Respecting those who have been in line since the first HMP.

Phase 3: Diversified Funding (Beyond ARPA) Relying on one-time federal grants is why the list never moves. I will propose:

Public-Private Partnerships:

Negotiating with local banks to provide low-interest "Bridge Loans" for those on the city waitlist.

State Housing Initiatives (SHIP): Aggressively pursuing Florida’s SHIP funds specifically for rehabilitation, rather than just general city funds.

Energy Efficiency Rebates: Partnering with utility companies to cover weatherization costs, freeing up city grant money for structural repairs.

Phase 4: Transparency & Tracking We will implement the Live Grant Dashboard.

Every resident on that 800+ list will receive a unique ID number. They can log in and see exactly how many people are ahead of them and the estimated "Funding Cycle" they fall into.

The Goal: We won't clear 800 homes overnight, but we will stop the "black hole" of information. You will know where you stand, when you will be helped, and that the process is fair.