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The City of South Miami has achieved a milestone in the fight against homelessness, reaching what experts call “Functional Zero” for chronic homelessness — a designation that signals a community has effectively ended the cycle of long-term homelessness.
The announcement follows the latest biannual census conducted on Aug. 22 by the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust, the county-funded agency charged with addressing homelessness. The preliminary survey counted only three individuals experiencing homelessness within South Miami — the lowest number recorded in recent history. Past surveys have reported as many as 15 to 20 individuals. Final numbers from the census will be released later this year.
While point-in-time counts are not exact, they remain the county’s benchmark for progress.
According to Community Solutions, the national nonprofit that developed the standard, a city achieves “Functional Zero” when chronic homelessness is reduced to either zero, or fewer than three individuals, or less than 0.1 percent of the city’s total homeless population — whichever is greater.
South Miami’s progress began in 2021 when city leaders adopted a “Housing First” approach. The nationally recognized model prioritizes providing permanent housing before addressing other needs such as employment or healthcare, with the goal of breaking the cycle of homelessness and supporting long-term stability.
To put the policy into action, South Miami designated a community policing officer to coordinate with the Homeless Trust and other county resources, ensuring individuals experiencing chronic homelessness were guided into permanent supportive housing.
The city also partnered with local institutions including Baptist Health South Miami and Midtown Development Group, both of which contribute annually to shelter beds and other support services.
By 2023, after several individuals successfully transitioned into permanent housing, the city commission approved a strategic plan setting an ambitious goal: reaching Functional Zero homelessness by 2026. To accelerate progress, the city hired a dedicated outreach vendor to provide consistent followup, trust-building, and case management in addition to what South Miami already contributes to countywide homeless services through its Food and Beverage Tax.
City leaders credit the vendor’s on-the-ground engagement, combined with strong coordination with police and service providers, for the rapid results.
Now, with Functional Zero achieved one year ahead of schedule, South Miami officials are focused on sustaining progress. The city’s strategic plan emphasizes continued coordination between law enforcement, outreach teams, county partners, and the local business community to ensure that individuals at risk are connected to stable housing solutions quickly and effectively.
“This is tremendous news for our community,” said Vice Mayor Brian Corey. “South Miami has stayed committed to executing our strategic plan, and the results are clear in the latest census.
“This milestone reflects the dedication of our city staff, outreach team, and police department. We will continue striving for excellence, guided by a compassionate, practical, and personalized approach to ending homelessness in South Miami,” Corey continued.
“As a city, we are tremendously proud of having achieved this important milestone,” said Mayor Javier Fernandez. “All credit goes to the good work begun under Chief Landa and continued today through Chief Hatfield, as well as to Officers Napier, Lilavois, Lopez, and Prather.
“Special recognition and congratulations to Vice Mayor Corey for his consistent leadership from the dais on this issue and in making this South Miami’s current reality. We look forward to continuing to do our part to house the homeless here in South Miami,” the mayor added.
“Achieving Functional Zero for chronic homelessness represents a profound accomplishment for the City of South Miami, and it would not have been possible without the unwavering dedication of our officers, ,” said Chief of Police Reo Hatfield III. “From building trust with vulnerable individuals to coordinating directly with service providers and outreach teams, our officers have gone above and beyond traditional policing duties to serve the community with compassion and professionalism.
“This milestone is a direct reflection of their tireless efforts, and I commend Officers Napier, Lilavois, Lopez, Prather, and the entire department for their critical role in making this achievement a reality,” Hatfield added. “The South Miami Police Department remains fully committed to sustaining this progress through continued engagement, vigilance, and service.”
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