Miami-Dade flubs millions in HUD funds, then spends more

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assistance, economic development (including micro-lending and business incubators), public facilities, capital improvements, rental housing rehabilitation.

And all that is very worthwhile. But Ladra hopes the commission has some sort of tracking system to ensure that the monies are used as intended. A better tracking system than an identification process, which is obviously flawed.

Because guess who gets $342,589? The city of Sweetwater, where we have seen monies mismanaged before. Remember those funds that were supposed to go to elderly services but instead went to pay for SUVs driven by the mayor’s wife and her friend? I wonder what $340,000 will get the mayor’s mama this year.

And the woefully outdated website (think 2007) says the non-profit St. John Community Development Corp uses state grant monies to provide local Overtown businesses managerial and technical assistance, loan packaging and access to capital and facade improvement. The group also built a 35-unit affordable rental housing complex — in 1992. What’s it going to do with $636,000?

And did commissioners know that $1.2 million was going to go to the same address on Northwest 62nd Avenue? Or that the $177,591 for ARCoponics is for a division of the Opa-Locka Community Development Corp that’s already getting $520,180 separately? That’s almost $800,000 for that one group.

And why does BeeFree get $175,000? This is a for-profit company that provides free transportation, mostly in Miami Beach, in electric cars that serve as rolling billboards, making money, supposedly, by selling the advertising. How does this help low-to-moderate-income or underserved community? Doesn’t this just help the owners of BeeFree stay afloat another year or two?

Here is a list, provided by the county, of all the agencies and the funds they are set to receive:

79th Street Corridor Neighborhood Initiative, Inc. $49,102
ARCoponics, LLC $177,591
Assistance to the Elderly, Inc. $150,000
Association For Development Of The Exceptional Incorporated $342,589
Barry University, Inc. $130,696
BeeFree, LLC $175,000
Black Economic Development Coalition, Inc. $612,773
Branches, Inc. $80,000
Camillus House, Inc. $576,597
Carrfour Supportive Housing, Inc. $49,984
Citrus Health Network, Inc. $200,000
City of Opa-locka $221,917
City of South Miami $336,000
City of Sweetwater $342,589
City of West Miami $125,000
Dynamics Community Development Corporation $81,233
EcoTech Visions Foundation Inc. $450,000
Hispanic Business Initiative Fund of Florida, Inc. $155,000
Little Haiti Housing Association, Inc. $100,000
Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce, Inc. $360,000
Neighbors and Neighbors Association, Inc. $612,773
Opa-locka Community Development Corporation, Inc. $520,180
OUR Microlending, LLC. $200,000
Partners for Self-Employment, Inc. $430,000
Pharma Topcare, Inc. $177,591
South Florida Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce, Inc. $109,974
St. John Community Development Corporation, Inc. $636,364
Sundari Foundation Inc. d/b/a/ Lotus House Women’s Shelter $458,839
Sunrise Opportunities, Inc. $96,515
TA Medical Group, Inc. $175,000

Ladra is certain that some of this is money is well-intentioned. But I am almost as certain that there are some turkeys tucked in. Help the commission identify them if you can, before HUD Director Julian Castro catches wind of it.

And let’s make certain that these are not additional funds the county will have to repay the federal government next year.