Russell Pledges 1,000 Affordable Homes in First Year as Mayor

Candidate Information
Name: Ken Russell
Campaign Website: kenrussellformayor.com Contact Email: ken@kenrussellformayor.com

Background: I'm a small business owner and was born in Miami. My mother immigrated from Japan in the 60s. My father was an American businessman working in Cuba through the 50s until the Castro regime seized his assets.

I ran for office after organizing my neighborhood around a contaminated park. As Miami Commissioner, I wrote the strongest environmental and affordable housing legislation in the state. I left office after two terms but am returning as Mayor because of the combined crises of affordable housing and corruption.

Affordable Housing & Development: What is your definition of “affordable housing” for Miami residents?

Affordable Housing starts with keeping residents in their current homes. Too many focus on the number of new units created, but we must preserve the rental and ownership units that are getting displaced. As for new units, ELI apartments are the first step to solving the crisis of homelessness and the missing link in the chain after shelter.

Workforce housing is needed in our urban core where market rates have gone way out of reach for the average family. But 120 Area Median Income workforce units don't qualify as affordable housing when they are used as a developer giveaway
in less dense or affluent neighborhoods. There, the market rates are close to the workforce rate, so developers can take advantage of incentives without having to go deep into the solutions that we need.

How many affordable housing units do you commit to building or preserving in your first term, and what is your timeline?

My first goal is an initiative that I' m kicking off with Udonis Haslem called 1,000 Homes for Miami. Together we're going to identify and incentivize 1,000 units in my first year in office that will enter the affordable pipeline to be created or preserved.

From there, I'll follow the advice of the FIU Metropolitan Center’s Affordable Housing Study to determine goals for the following three years. This study was accepted while I was a commissioner but not implemented.

Renters, Evictions & Tenant Protections: What policies will you support to prevent unjust evictions and protect renters?

I passed the ordinance in Miami that doubled the timeframe notice to evict from 15 to 30 days. Another major issue is that renters are afraid to report substandard conditions as it could lead to an order to vacate.

This keeps repairs from happening and landlords from being held accountable. I will create a program that mandates repairs (rather than repair or demolish orders) in a way that holds landlords accountable without punishing renters.

How will you expand tenant access to legal aid or rental assistance?

Legal Services of South Florida is an incredible resource. I have partnered with them in the past to support our residents and will do so again.

Homeownership & Equity: What policies will you propose to support first-time or low-income homebuyers in Miami?

Soft Second Mortgages is an excellent way to help a first-time buyer come up with the down payment on very favorable terms. Also, the use of government and church-owned land can reduce the costs to first time buyers where possible.

How will you ensure housing programs are accessible to immigrant, like Haitian Creole and Spanish-speaking communities?

Targeted marketing is key when advertising an upcoming affordable development. Most important is that the local neighborhood has easy access in their preferred language.

All advertisements and instructions should be in three languages. Cooperative Neighborhood meetings should take place from inception through construction so that the development is built in close conjunction with the surrounding area.

Public Land & Climate Resilience: Do you support using city-owned land for affordable housing? If yes, how would you prioritize parcels?

Yes. City-owned land can be combined with private and church properties as well as other governmental entities to provide new affordable housing.

This is the largest portion of the builders’ budgets and often what squeezes out the affordability. Contributing this land to the deals gives the city the leverage to contract very specific levels of affordability for long periods of time.

Budget, Accountability & Governance: How will you fund affordable housing initiatives? If resources are limited, what would you deprioritize?

I passed the Miami Forever General Obligation Bond in 2017 with $100 million for affordable housing without raising taxes. I created the Coconut Grove CRA with $500 million for affordable housing.

CRA’s when combined with ethical reporting and oversight are a tremendous source of funds for affordable housing. I don't intend to use federal tax subsidies unless the developer comes with them already in place. This eliminates local preference and becomes part of the displacement engine instead of helping.

What metrics will you use to measure progress, and will you commit to publishing annual accountability reports?

The City’s housing department will keep track of all new and preserved units, the number of families served, the depth of affordability offered, and the average cost per unit. All of these will be published on a quarterly basis with a pipeline chart of project progress.

Vision & Leadership: Why are you running for mayor, and what legacy do you want to leave in housing?

I'm running for mayor because the corruption in Miami has crippled our ability to solve the housing crisis. That crisis is our number one issue, and it must be addressed.

My hope is to transform the constitutional charter of the city to discourage dynasties and corruption while encouraging new blood to enter politics to address Miami’s new problems.

What one major housing policy or project would you be most proud to accomplish by the end of your first term?

The cultural and housing preservation of Little Bahamas of Coconut Grove is one of many neighborhoods of need, but I'd like it to be an example that can be scaled city-wide. It's our founding Bahamian neighborhood and incredibly worthy of our investment.

It has all the elements of zoning, a CRA, and incentives to welcome back those who have been displaced and celebrate one of the many rich cultural neighborhoods of Miami.