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OPA-LOCKA
BOARDED-UP AND ABANDONED HOUSES IN THE TRIANGLE COULD BECOME A THING OF THE PAST FOLLOWING THREE PIECES OF COUNTY LEGISLATION AIMED AT RENOVATING THAT CORNER OF THE CITY
BY HELEN BERGGREN
County Commissioner Barbara J. Jordan has unveiled a three-point multi-million-dollar renovation plan for the depressed Triangle neighborhood in Opa-locka.
''The money that is available through these programs can be used to make a wide range of improvements,'' Jordan said at a press conference June 1. ``But it's also going to be used to bring about more pride in our community.''
Some $1.2 million from Miami-Dade County surtax revenue will fund the county's Opa-locka Home Rehabilitation Program as Part One of the city's makeover.
Low-income homeowners in the Triangle are eligible to receive up to $30,000 in assistance to rehabilitate their properties.
''It is a deferred loan with a zero interest rate that is due when the homeowner sells or no longer lives in the home,'' said Willie Logan, president/CEO of the Opa-locka Community Development Corporation.
The process begins when the owner provides a list of repairs and works with an inspector to put together a bid packet.
''Roof, doors, windows, even air conditioning,'' said Logan. ``Some of these homes were built back in the '50s or older, before central air.''
Around $1.97 million, also from the county surtax, has been set aside for the Opa-locka Beautification Program, the second renovation phase.
And up to $3,900 is available to owners in the Triangle for painting and landscaping.
''It's a one-year forgivable loan,'' said Tessie Lee, project coordinator for H.J. Russell & Co. ``We have a list of contractors to choose from. All people need to do is come in, fill out an application and show proof of ownership.''
Renters who want to open the door to the American dream will have a chance to benefit from the last component: the Homeownership Program.
''It is the piece of legislation that I am particularly proud of because a lot of the problems that we have had in the Triangle have had to do with abandoned [homes] or houses that were formerly public housing that were boarded up,'' Jordan said. ``There are about 26 properties that we made a request to HUD in Washington and asked their permission to convert those public housing units into private home ownership.''
According to Jordan, 17 of the 26 three-bedroom, 992-square-foot homes earmarked for the project are in the Triangle -- an area bounded by State Road 9 on the south, Northwest 17th to 22nd avenues on the east and west and Northwest 151st Street on the north.
''There is a priority for those homes in the Triangle,'' said Sherra McLeod, Miami-Dade Housing Agency's public information officer. ``First are the current occupants in the unit. . . Then public housing residents, Section 8 [housing choice voucher recipients], county employees and then city employees.''
One Opa-locka resident didn't mind being placed at the bottom of the list.
''I'm excited about it,'' said Mayor Joseph L. Kelley. ``Most people just talk, talk, talk. We've had governors come, had the drug czar, we've had all kinds of things said but to finally see . . . dollars being put into this community -- over $4.1 million -- is a good first step.''