The Miami Times: Miami-Dade’s Most Vulnerable Are Not Line Items

As Miami-Dade County prepares its FY 2025–26 budget, a devastating proposal looms: the elimination of $16.577 million in funding for nonprofit community-based organizations (CBOs). The organizations that form this collaborative are in partnership with the County following a competitive procurement process.

We have been providing high quality, life-sustaining safety-net services to hundreds of thousands of residents without an increase in funding for decades. For the many residents who rely on these services for basic needs, such as housing stability, food security, health and mental health, legal advocacy, employment readiness, educational support and more, this is not just a budget cut; these reductions represent the unraveling of an essential safety net that supports vulnerable members of our community.