Mayor Francis Suarez visited the Lotus House Women’s Shelter and held a press conference announcing that the non-profit organization will be receiving a $200,000 donation intended to provide upskilling, education, and job training opportunities for women and youth experiencing homelessness.
“Today, we announce a new day and a new opportunity for the City of Miami’s homeless population,” said Mayor Francis Suarez. “Through our Functional Zero Plan, our invaluable partners at Lotus House will be able to expand their employment and education programs so they can provide our city’s most vulnerable with new opportunities to join Miami’s workforce, achieve their dreams, and realize their potential.”
Back in January of 2022, Mayor Francis Suarez announced his Functional Zero Plan with an ambitious goal of making Miami the first major city in America to reach functional zero for chronic homelessness. The Functional Zero Plan will deploy $3.1 million dollars of new funding directly into community partners in Miami with a proven track record in helping the most vulnerable, including Lotus House, Camillus House, and the Chapman Partnership.
Functional Zero means that a community has measurably ended homelessness for a given population, and when homelessness does occur, it’s rare and brief. Back in 2018, the Homeless Trust announced that Miami had reached functional zero for veterans experiencing homelessness. By partnering with multiple community stakeholders, Mayor Suarez’s Functional Zero Plan intends to end chronic homelessness by providing job training opportunities, identifying housing solutions, and expanding mental health as well as substance abuse services within the City of Miami.
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