The proposed $9B increase follows two other recent rate hikes by FPL

FORT LAUDERDALE — Residents opposed to Florida Power & Light’s (FPL) proposed $9 billion rate hike – the largest in U.S. history – will voice their concerns at an upcoming town hall this Wednesday, April 9th at 6pm ET.

If approved, the proposed 23 percent rate increase would mark the second rate hike this year alone, following the 10 percent increase approved by the Florida Public Service Commission in December to cover the costs stemming from the 2024 hurricane season. It would also represent the third hike since 2021 when the PSC approved a 20 percent increase, which at the time was the largest in history, at $5 billion. Collectively, this means that Florida residents may soon be paying over $600 more annually for their energy bill than they were just five years ago.

WHO:

Catalyst Miami, Faith in Florida, Florida Rising, ReThink Energy, The CLEO Institute, Central Florida Jobs with Justice, Earth Ethics, Florida Student Power, local residents

WHAT:

Town Hall on High Utility Bills and FPL Rate Hike

WHEN: 

Wednesday, April 9, 2025 at 6pm ET

WHERE:

New Hope Baptist Church - 1321 NW 6th St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311

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About Catalyst Miami

Founded in 1996 by Daniella Levine Cava, Catalyst Miami is a nonprofit that works to build power with frontline communities throughout Miami-Dade County to collectively advance justice and achieve shared prosperity. This is how we move toward our ultimate vision of a just society where everyone can lead healthy, prosperous, self-determined lives. Learn more about the organization at www.catalystmiami.org.

Media Contacts: 
Maria Claudia Schubert-Fontes, [email protected]

A recording of the press conference described below can be found here.

*MIAMI, FL, February 25, 2025** - A coalition of Florida nonprofit organizations held a joint press conference today to sound the alarm about proposed federal budget cuts that would dramatically impact healthcare access for millions of vulnerable Floridians, and disproportionately affect Miami-Dade County residents. The proposed cuts to health programs, totaling at least $880 billion over ten years, are likely to fundamentally alter Medicaid, by imposing some form of federal spending cap. This level of health cuts would be the largest in US history. This would have a devastating impact on the Miami-Dade residents – seniors, kids, disabled individuals, and pregnant women– who depend on the program for essential services. 

More than one in four county residents (27.4 percent) rely on Medicaid for their healthcare needs. Currently, over 295,000 Miami-Dade children get their health coverage from Medicaid, over 218,000 county seniors aged 65 and older have Medicaid coverage, and just last month, over 18,000 pregnant and postpartum women were relying on Medicaid to access healthcare. 

"These aren't just numbers on a spreadsheet – they represent real Florida families who could lose access to essential medical care," said Alison Yager, executive director of Florida Health Justice Project. "In Miami-Dade County, nearly three in five seniors rely on Medicaid. The proposed federal cuts would devastate our most vulnerable communities, and they would leave Florida completely exposed during future health or natural disaster emergencies or economic downturns, forcing the state to make impossible choices."

The proposed cuts would cause radical restructuring of the current Medicaid funding system, which currently guarantees coverage of 57 percent of Florida's Medicaid costs, with fixed limits on federal dollars that wouldn't adjust for growing health inflation or economic downturns.  Florida is one of the fastest growing states in the country, with disproportionate growth in the most medically expensive populations: the elderly and people with disabilities. With fixed dollars from the federal government, the state will be squeezed – forced to limit enrollment or cut eligibility or services. The costs don’t go away; they’re just shifted onto the state, the hospitals, the providers, and the residents.

“Many of the people I serve are hardworking families, seniors, and individuals navigating financial instability,” said Abraham Frometa, community health manager, at Catalyst Miami.  “For them, Medicaid isn’t just healthcare—it’s the difference between getting a check-up and letting an illness go untreated, between affording medication and risking serious complications. For the people we serve, Medicaid is more than a safety net—it’s a critical tool for health, financial stability, and community well-being. Losing Medicaid would be devastating. It would lead to more preventable illnesses, greater financial strain—including job and housing loss—and more people forced to go without the care they need.” 

Beyssa Buil, a Chaplain and lifelong resident of South Florida who lives with multiple sclerosis (MS) shared the crucial role Medicaid plays in the lives of people living with chronic illness: "Medicaid has given me access to care and treatment since having 25 lesions in my brain has often left me without vision and other devastating symptoms incapacitating me that require hospitalization."

“The families I provide care for can get regular checkups, treatment for chronic illnesses, and prescription drugs because of vital insurance programs like Medicaid and the insurance they buy themselves on the Marketplace every year with the help of tax credits,” said Dr. Olveen Carrasquillo, M.D., M.P.H., a healthcare provider in Miami-Dade County. “These programs are essential to safeguarding South Florida families’ financial stability and well-being. They help my patients receive preventative care, which helps them stay out of the hospital for preventable causes. Stripping away health coverage will increase the likelihood of harmful health outcomes.”

The group emphasized that the proposed cuts would disproportionately affect children, who make up a significant portion of Florida's Medicaid recipients. "Approximately 40% of all Florida's children depend on Medicaid for their healthcare needs, and in Miami-Dade County alone, 41% of children rely on Medicaid or CHIP coverage," stated Leo Cuello, of the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. "Risking their access to preventive care and essential medical services isn't just morally wrong – it's fiscally irresponsible and will cost us far more in the long run. Slashing federal Medicaid funding would also blow a hole in the state's budget, meaning the state will have to make cuts to all kinds of other priorities, such as education. Medicaid funding is important to children in so many ways."

"For 60 years, since 1965 when Medicaid and Medicare were established, Florida and the federal government have shared the cost of health care,” Cuello said. “This radical proposal would upend that 60-year partnership and walk back the federal government's commitment to the state. It is a terrible deal for Florida residents, and in particular Miami-Dade county."

The coalition is calling on Congress and our local representatives to reject the budget resolution advancing in the House, which calls for $880 billion in cuts to federal health programs over 10 years, severely rolling back Medicaid funding and Marketplace insurance tax credits.

Miami Dade County has more residents benefiting from ACA Marketplace tax credits, or Obamacare, than any other county in the nation. Almost one million residents receive health coverage from the Marketplace–close to two in five people. The Inflation Reduction Act extended critical tax credit enhancements that are set to expire at the end of 2025 if not renewed by Congress. The steep proposed cuts to healthcare programs puts this renewal in jeopardy. 

“Nowhere in the nation benefits more from the ACA Marketplace – Obamacare – than Miami Dade County,” said Holly Bullard, chief strategy and development officer at Florida Policy Institute. “If the expanded tax credits are allowed to expire, as would be likely if the House passes the budget resolution as written, then healthcare premiums are going to spike for over 934,000 Miami Dade residents, causing many to drop coverage and become uninsured. In Florida’ 26th Congressional District, for example, the annual premium for enrollees will rise by $456. Letting these enhancements expire would particularly devastate the health and financial stability for Miami Dade workers and families. ” For some demographics, the price increases will be even more dramatic. For example, a 60-year old Florida couple making $82,000 would see their premiums spike by $19,278 with the soon-to-expire enhancements. 

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About Catalyst Miami

Founded in 1996 by Daniella Levine Cava, Catalyst Miami is a nonprofit that works to build power with frontline communities throughout Miami-Dade County to collectively advance justice and achieve shared prosperity. This is how we move toward our ultimate vision of a just society where everyone can lead healthy, prosperous, self-determined lives. Learn more about the organization at www.catalystmiami.org.

About Florida Health Justice Project

Florida Health Justice Project is a statewide non-partisan, non-profit legal organization that recognizes that access to quality and affordable health care is a human right and engages in comprehensive advocacy to expand health care access and promote health equity for vulnerable Floridians.

About Florida Policy Institute

FPI is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing state policies and budgets that improve the economic mobility and quality of life for all Floridians.

About UnidosUS

UnidosUS is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that serves as the nation’s largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization. Since 1968, we have challenged the social, economic, and political barriers that affect Latinos through our unique combination of expert research, advocacy, programs, and an Affiliate Network of more than 300 community-based organizations across the United States and Puerto Rico. We believe in an America where economic, political, and social progress is a reality for all Latinos, and we collaborate across communities to achieve it.

About Florida Voices for Health

Florida Voices for Health is a statewide health advocacy organization with the mission of improving access to care for those Floridians facing the highest disparities. We do this primarily through storytelling and direct advocacy with elected officials at the federal, state, and local levels.

Media Contacts: 
Aidil Oscariz, [email protected] or 786-530-9729

STATEWIDE, Fla. - Tomorrow (Feb. 25) at 10:00 a.m. (ET), several groups who support affordable, accessible health care are holding a virtual press conference to sound the alarm about over $880 billion in health care cuts in the budget resolution set to be voted on this week by the U.S. House of Representatives, and to urge Miami Dade Members of Congress to vote against the measure.

During the briefing, health care policy experts will: provide an overview of the types of cuts the House would have to make in order to reach over $880 billion in health cuts; discuss the harmful impact that these cuts would have on the local level; and summarize why the Medicaid, CHIP and Marketplace insurance tax credits programs are vital for over a million Miami Dade County residents. 

Additionally, Miami residents who could be impacted by such cuts will share their experiences with the Medicaid program. 

WHO: Speakers-

• Alison Yager, executive director, Florida Health Justice Project

• Abraham Frometa, community health manager, Catalyst Miami

• Directly impacted individuals from Miami Dade 

• A Miami Dade health care provider Dr. Olveen Carrasquillo, M.D., M.P.H.

• Community Partners 

WHAT: Virtual briefing on the negative impact that federal health care cuts would have on Miami Dade residents

WHEN: Tomorrow, Feb. 25 at 10:00 a.m. (ET)

WHERE/HOW TO RSVP: Members of the media - please click here to register in advance for the virtual briefing. There will be time for questions after all the speakers have provided remarks. Remarks and interviews in Spanish language available upon request.  The briefing will also be recorded and made available upon request. 

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About Catalyst Miami

Founded in 1996 by Daniella Levine Cava, Catalyst Miami is a nonprofit that works to build power with frontline communities throughout Miami-Dade County to collectively advance justice and achieve shared prosperity. This is how we move toward our ultimate vision of a just society where everyone can lead healthy, prosperous, self-determined lives. Learn more about the organization at www.catalystmiami.org.

About Florida Health Justice Project

Florida Health Justice Project is a statewide non-partisan, non-profit legal organization that recognizes that access to quality and affordable health care is a human right and engages in comprehensive advocacy to expand health care access and promote health equity for vulnerable Floridians.

Media Contacts: 
Aidil Oscariz, [email protected] or 786-530-9729

“If lawmakers won’t do it, Florida voters will,” the coalition and residents say.

MIAMI — On Saturday, April 27, a coalition of nonprofits, community-based organizations, and residents will launch petition collection efforts in South Florida as part of a campaign to put Medicaid expansion on the 2026 ballot in Miami-Dade County. This initiative seeks to address the pressing need for healthcare coverage among nearly 1.4 million uninsured Floridians. Following the press conference, Catalyst Miami staff will train attendees on petition collection and canvassing. 

WHO:

• The Honorable, Reverend Jimmie L. Williams, III
• Dr. Olveen Carrasquillo, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
• Vicki Gonzalez, RN - SEIU 1991 Nurses Union
• Impacted patients and members of community 
• Representatives from Catalyst Miami, Florida Health Justice Project, Florida Voices for Health, League of Women Voters of Miami-Dade County, and Miami Freedom Project

WHAT:

• Press conference and campaign launch
• Canvassing training session
• Refreshments provided
• Interpretation provided in Spanish, Haitian Creole, and American Sign Language upon request

WHEN: 

Saturday, April 27, 2024
10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

WHERE:

Main Library
101 W Flagler St
Miami, FL 33130

Background: 

• Despite bipartisan support among voters, Florida lawmakers have ended another legislative session without expanding Medicaid, leaving the state among just ten not to do so. 
• Polling from 2023 indicates that 76% of registered voters in the state support Medicaid expansion, highlighting the urgency of allowing voters to decide on this critical issue.

Why it Matters:

• Medicaid expansion will provide much-needed coverage to nearly 1.4 million Floridians, improving health outcomes, saving residents money, and ultimately saving lives. (Florida Policy Institute fact sheet)
• This campaign empowers voters to take action in the absence of legislative progress, ensuring that the voices of the community are heard and valued.

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About Catalyst Miami

Founded in 1996 by Daniella Levine Cava, Catalyst Miami is a nonprofit that works to build power with frontline communities throughout Miami-Dade County to collectively advance justice and achieve shared prosperity. This is how we move toward our ultimate vision of a just society where everyone can lead healthy, prosperous, self-determined lives. Learn more about the organization at www.catalystmiami.org.

More Information on the Ballot Initiative

The citizen initiative to expand Medicaid in Florida was launched by Florida Decides Healthcare on February 1, 2024. Florida Decides Healthcare is the sponsoring committee for the initiative and is composed of policy experts, public health advocates, providers, and concerned citizens. The initiative seeks to collect roughly one million signatures from registered voters in Florida before February 1, 2026 in order to qualify for the ballot in that election cycle. For media inquiries related to Florida Decides Healthcare and the ballot initiative, please contact Jake Flaherty at [email protected] or 850-570-9309.

Media Contacts: 
Aidil Oscariz, [email protected] or 786-530-9729

PARA PUBLICACIÓN INMEDIATA

25 de abril de 2024

Contacto con los medios:

Melissa Taveras

786-663-6690

Aidil Oscariz

[email protected] | 786-530-9729

Comunicado de Prensa 

Coalición estatal lanza esfuerzo de recolección de peticiones en el sur de Florida para ampliar Medicaid: casi 1,4 millones de floridanos podrían obtener cobertura

“Si los legisladores no lo hacen, los votantes de Florida lo harán”, dicen la coalición y los residentes.

MIAMI — El sábado 27 de abril, una coalición de organizaciones sin fines de lucro, organizaciones comunitarias y residentes lanzará esfuerzos de recolección de peticiones en el sur de Florida como parte de una campaña para incluir la expansión de Medicaid en la boleta electoral de 2026 en el condado de Miami-Dade. Esta iniciativa busca abordar la apremiante necesidad de cobertura de atención médica entre casi 1,4 millones de floridanos sin seguro. Después de la conferencia de prensa, el personal de Catalyst Miami capacitará a los asistentes sobre la recopilación y el escrutinio de peticiones.

OMS:

El Honorable Reverendo Jimmie L. Williams, III

Dr. Olveen Carrasquillo, Facultad de Medicina Miller de la Universidad de Miami

Vicki González, RN - Sindicato de Enfermeras SEIU 1991

Pacientes afectados y miembros de la comunidad.

Representantes de Catalyst Miami, Florida Health Justice Project, Florida Voices for Health, League of Women Voters of Miami-Dade County y Miami Freedom Project

QUÉ:

Rueda de prensa y lanzamiento de campaña.

Sesión de formación en sondeo

Refrescos proporcionados

Se proporciona interpretación en español, criollo haitiano y lenguaje de señas estadounidense previa solicitud.

CUANDO:

sábado, 27 de abril de 2024

10:00 a. m. - 1:00 p. m.

DÓNDE:

Biblioteca principal

101 W Flagler St

Miami, Florida 33130

Fondo:

A pesar del apoyo bipartidista entre los votantes, los legisladores de Florida finalizaron otra sesión legislativa sin ampliar Medicaid, lo que deja al estado entre sólo diez que no lo hicieron.

Las encuestas de 2023 indican que el 76% de los votantes registrados en el estado apoyan la expansión de Medicaid, lo que destaca la urgencia de permitir que los votantes decidan sobre este tema crítico.

Por qué es importante:

La expansión de Medicaid brindará una cobertura muy necesaria a casi 1,4 millones de floridanos, mejorando los resultados de salud, ahorrando dinero a los residentes y, en última instancia, salvando vidas. (Hoja informativa del Instituto de Política de Florida)

Esta campaña empodera a los votantes para tomar medidas en ausencia de avances legislativos, asegurando que las voces de la comunidad sean escuchadas y valoradas.

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Acerca de Catalyst Miami

Fundada en 1996 por Daniella Levine Cava, Catalyst Miami es una organización sin fines de lucro que trabaja para generar poder en las comunidades de primera línea en todo el condado de Miami-Dade para promover colectivamente la justicia y lograr la prosperidad compartida. Así es como avanzamos hacia nuestra visión definitiva de una sociedad justa en la que todos puedan llevar una vida sana, próspera y autodeterminada. Obtenga más información sobre la organización en www.catalystmiami.org.

Más información sobre la iniciativa electoral

Florida Decides Healthcare lanzó la iniciativa ciudadana para ampliar Medicaid en Florida el 1 de febrero de 2024. Florida Decides Healthcare es el comité patrocinador de la iniciativa y está compuesto por expertos en políticas, defensores de la salud pública, proveedores y ciudadanos preocupados. La iniciativa busca recolectar aproximadamente un millón de firmas de votantes registrados en Florida antes del 1 de febrero de 2026 para poder calificar para la boleta en ese ciclo electoral. Para consultas de los medios relacionadas con Florida Decides Healthcare y la iniciativa electoral, comuníquese con Jake Flaherty en [email protected] o al 850-570-9309.

Update: As of May 1, 2023, the bill has passed the full House and Senate. If Governor DeSantis does not veto the bill by July 1, the new law will take effect.

Severe flooding releases toxic waste from our roadways into our environment. House Bill 1191 and Senate Bill 1258 would allow the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to use phosphogypsum in road construction. Decades of science prove that phosphogypsum — a high-risk, radioactive pollutant that releases toxins — poses a substantial risk to people's health, workers' safety, and the environment.

As the Center for Biological Diversity wrote about HB 1191 and SB 1258, “The EPA has long prohibited use of phosphogypsum in roads” because it’s “linked to higher risks of cancer and genetic damage. But for several years, the fertilizer industry has pushed lawmakers to allow it.” (link to lobbyist disclosure) 

Catalyst Miami’s director of policy and advocacy Camilo Mejia is available to discuss the irreversible harms this legislation would impose on frontline communities and Floridians at-large. We implore the legislature not to advance this irresponsible bill any further, and for Governor Desantis to veto this deadly industry favor should it reach his desk. To schedule an interview with Mr. Mejia, please contact Carolina Fernandez at [email protected] or 786-414-1290.

Read our op-ed in the Orlando Sentinel. Learn more about this issue in the Tampa Bay Times and Florida Politics.

Residents can take action at catalystmiami.org/radioactive 

County residents pushed back on environmental injustices and held elected officials to their commitments on climate change.

MIAMI — On Saturday, January 21, Miami-Dade County officials and community-based organizations Catalyst Miami and Miami Climate Alliance hosted a town hall to mark the next phase in the implementation of the County’s Climate Action Strategy. At the town hall, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava answered questions about the strategy’s timeline and addressed residents’ feedback about how projects have been implemented. 

Concerned community members, representatives from local resiliency boards, and County stakeholders packed the Main Library auditorium and engaged directly with the Mayor and County department heads on their commitments to equity in their climate action work. Several members of Catalyst Miami’s Overtown Community Champions team were in attendance and tasked the County representatives with more transparency and action, especially when it comes to infrastructure projects in historically disinvested neighborhoods.

“In my neighborhood of Overtown, you know we have the I-395 that’s going through there, and there’s going to be a lot more traffic than before,” said Casey M., an Overtown Community Champion, to a panel of County officials. “I’m thinking about people who are already at a disadvantage with the construction and the pollution. Also we have landfills and a waste disposal place just up the street from where I live, and also we have power plants. … We have parks that are built over landfills. And I know that Overtown is now becoming an emerging community, where it’s being looked at as some place that’s higher ground that people want to move there. What plans do you have in cleaning up those areas? … What’s going to happen to all those people? Where are we supposed to live?”

“We understand there’s a trust deficit, especially in communities that have been historically harmed, even by your own county government, in the past,” said Juan Felipe Visser, Deputy Director of Equity & Engagement, Office of Miami-Dade County.

Mayor Cava committed to a new set of community recommendations and told the town hall attendees that progress on the Climate Action Strategy would be detailed in a report to be released by Earth Day, 2023. The recommendations are the product of two years of collaboration between County staff, community leaders, and residents. The framework breaks down how local governments can address legacies of exclusion, increase transparency, and develop the best solutions when everyone has a seat at the table.

Attendees reiterated during the session their desire to see County representatives meet with residents more often, especially when the County is making decisions about their neighborhoods. Chief Resilience Officer Jim Murley acknowledged his team’s desire to host more of these community conversations and shared that additional meetings would be scheduled in the coming months to get community members’ feedback on the Climate Action Strategy’s latest progress.

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About Catalyst Miami

Founded in 1996, Catalyst Miami is an economic justice nonprofit organization whose mission is to identify and collectively solve issues adversely affecting low-wealth communities in Miami-Dade County. Learn more at www.catalystmiami.org.

About Miami Climate Alliance

The Miami Climate Alliance was convened in 2015 by a diverse group of Miami-Dade residents and now represents countless individuals and 152 member organizations. The Miami Climate Alliance works for equity and resilience by activating community through strategic action, increasing understanding of climate change as a threat to all forms of justice, and building urgency around our shared community well-being. Our mission is to achieve justice for all of Miami's communities in the face of climate change and its effects. https://miamiclimatealliance.org/

Media Contacts:
Carolina Fernandez-Mazzoni, [email protected], 786-414-1290
Val Glenister, [email protected], 754-971-5302

The media is a powerful tool for 1) raising awareness about issues that are important to us, 2) demanding accountability from those responsible, and 3) driving the action we want to see. 

Reporters may come into an interview with their questions set, but we should also come in with our narrative set. 

It's YOUR narrative to shape, YOUR voice and community, YOUR story to tell. This resource is about how, in media interviews, we can take the ball back. How do we tell the story we want to tell when talking to media? 

Let's look at some tips below. Click here to download a mobile-friendly TIP SHEET to save for use later!

Questions about anything on this page? Please send an email to [email protected]

• Before the Interview
• During the Interview
• When the Interview is Over
• Once the News Story is Out

Miami-Dade is experiencing three times as many days over 90 degrees as it was 50 years ago, but FPL wants customers to shoulder $500 million for extreme winter.

Miami, FL — Drawing false parallels to the energy crisis in Texas, Florida Power and Light Company (FPL) is seeking the Public Service Commission’s approval to spend hundreds of millions of dollars in fossil fuel projects for extreme winter weather.

In advance of the PSC’s upcoming decision on FPL’s 10-year site plan, Catalyst Miami’s Natalia Brown and Healthy Gulf’s Christian Wagley are available to discuss how this proposal would harm all FPL customers, especially middle-to-low-wealth households and communities of color. According to Bloomberg, Miami residents’ electricity bills are already nearly 40% higher than last year, and this plan, if approved, would authorize FPL to pass the costs of unnecessary capital projects straight to ratepayers. In Northwest Florida, Pensacola residents’ rates have skyrocketed to the second highest in the state following a 2021 merger between FPL and former Gulf Power territory. 

Public comments for the FPL ten-year site plan close on June 15 and the PSC is expected to make a decision shortly thereafter. 

Ms. Brown and Mr. Wagley are available to discuss:

• How the plan increases Florida’s dependence on price-volatile and polluting gas, with no investments in energy efficiency (a proven method of meeting customer demand by reducing waste and lowering bills for everyone)
• Expert testimony at the PSC’s hearing on 10-year site plans proving that FPL’s hypothetical winter proposals have a less than a one-in-a-million chance of occurring
• The ironic disconnect between the regulatory process and reality: discussing below-freezing temperatures while low-wealth households and communities of color across the state aren’t getting the cooling, lighting, or electricity they need during extreme heat conditions because of rising prices

To schedule an interview with Ms. Brown or Mr. Wagley, please contact Carolina Fernandez-Mazzoni at [email protected] or 305-815-4520. 

The public can write to the PSC at bit.ly/fplaction.

Media Availability: 
Monday, June 13 - Wednesday, June 15, 2022

Media Contacts: 
Carolina Fernandez-Mazzoni, [email protected], 786-414-1290

Project will build wealth for families via small-dollar investments and give community residents more control over development

MIAMI – JPMorgan Chase granted Catalyst Miami $1 million to fund the North Miami Community Investment Cooperative (NM-CIC), a commercial property cooperative that will be owned and operated by North Miami community members. The NM-CIC opens up investment opportunities in real estate to working-class residents, especially as mobility- and transit-oriented development increases in the area.

NM-CIC will provide education and capacity-building opportunities to help local, small-dollar investors govern and manage the property. The initiative also supports the hyperlocal economy by recruiting local businesses to lease spaces and receive technical assistance through Catalyst Miami’s small business services. And because this is a replicable model, the transformative scope of the project could eventually extend to all of Miami-Dade County.

“One of the most important and effective keys to building wealth and reducing the racial wealth gap is in small business and property ownership,” said Maria Escorcia, Vice President of Global Philanthropy at JPMorgan Chase. “Initiatives like NM-CIC are intended to help not only small business owners, but the community at large. JPMorgan Chase is proud to support Catalyst Miami in this initiative to create a more prosperous and inclusive North Miami.”

The NM-CIC initiative is part of Catalyst Miami’s efforts to spearhead wealth-building projects that promote economic inclusiveness for communities that were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and were already at a disadvantage with regard to the racial wealth gap.

 “The investment cooperative is an exciting part of our overall strategies to create shared economic prosperity, build intergenerational wealth, and advance racial equity on a scalable, community level,” said Catalyst Miami Vice President of Community Economic Development, Ahmed Mori. And the project is not only about asset ownership. "Expanding community control—putting people at the center of decision-making—is often missing from more standard efforts to address poverty and the racial wealth divide,” Mori said.

 “Recovering from this pandemic is going to be difficult for communities that already bore the brunt of economic and racial injustice,” said Catalyst Miami CEO Gretchen Beesing. “It’s a crucial time for intentional intervention and community investments, and for rethinking the systems that have long denied equitable access to economic mobility opportunities.”

In the first phase, which begins this year, Catalyst Miami will facilitate the purchase and initial management of the commercial real estate, including making infrastructural repairs and managing commercial tenant relations. Then, Catalyst Miami will oversee the process of selling the property back to members of the surrounding community.

The City of North Miami is among the most demographically diverse municipalities in Miami-Dade County, and is home to a vibrant small business community. By giving residents an opportunity to “buy back the block” and centering economic development on local neighborhoods, the NM-CIC provides a demonstration of community-level economics that supports equitable wealth-building, collective ownership, and stabilization instead of displacement.

To schedule interviews with Ahmed Mori or Gretchen Beesing, please contact Carolina Fernandez-Mazzoni at [email protected] or 786-414-1290. To schedule interviews with Maria Escorcia, please contact Allison Reed at [email protected] or 240-506-7897.

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About Catalyst Miami

Founded in 1996 by now-Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Catalyst Miami is an economic justice nonprofit organization whose mission is to identify and collectively solve issues adversely affecting low-wealth communities in Miami-Dade County. Learn more about the organization at www.catalystmiami.org 

About JPMorgan Chase

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) is a leading global financial services firm with assets of $3.2 trillion and operations worldwide. The Firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers and small businesses, commercial banking, financial transaction processing, and asset management. A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, JPMorgan Chase & Co. serves millions of customers in the United States and many of the world’s most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients under its J.P. Morgan and Chase brands. Information about JPMorgan Chase & Co. is available at www.jpmorganchase.com

Media Contacts:
Carolina Fernandez-Mazzoni, [email protected], 786-414-1290 
Allison Reed, [email protected], 240-506-7897

Extreme heat is dangerous to everyone, but children, the elderly, outdoor workers, communities of color, and pregnant people face higher risk and need protection. 

MIAMI, FL – Heat is a justice issue.  Public awareness, labor protections, and improved access to cooling resources are all needed, a coalition of health professionals, researchers, and NGOs said, leading up to National Heat Awareness Day on May 28. The coalition is calling on local, state, and federal officials to protect vulnerable populations against increasing extreme heat exposure.

If you are interested in covering heat as a justice issue, below is a list of events, experts, and resources for your story.   

VISUAL OPPORTUNITY   

What: Shading Dade Heat Sensor Deployment 

When: Monday May 24 at 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. 

Who: Shading Dade: Catalyst Miami + FIU’s Sea Level Solutions Center in the Institute of Environment + FIU’s Department of Journalism and Media + University of Miami

Where: Legion Park at 6447 NE 7th Avenue, Miami, FL 33138 

About: Shading Dade is a citizen science project that uses dime-sized heat sensors called “iButtons” to record temperatures at specific locations, such as bus stops, across Miami-Dade County. Participants will convene at a City of Miami park to meet their teams, receive instruction on the deployment protocols, and pick up temperature sensors. After picking up sensors, participants will fan out across Miami-Dade County to deploy sensors in designated locations. Sensors were first deployed in 2018 by researchers and the work continues this week with a new batch of sensors to be deployed by Shading Dade Ambassadors. To see the existing sensor data click here.  

>>> To contact Shading Dade, email [email protected], or Sign Up for Details.  

GROUPS WORKING ON HEAT IN MIAMI 

Miami’s Urban Heat Research Group (UHRG)

• Miami’s Urban Heat Research Group (UHRG) is composed of local non-profits, government staff, and community leaders, as well as faculty and student researchers from Florida International University and University of Miami. Through monthly meetings, the group comes together to address the growing issue of heat, data and studies centered around this, and initiatives that push towards tackling the issue on the fronts of both the environment and public health. (Troxler, Clement, Mach, Obeysekara, Bhat)
  >>>>  To contact the researchers at UHRG, contact [email protected].   To see a list of heat-related student research projects, scroll down.  

The Miami Dade Women’s Fund:  Pregnant Women Face Higher Risk  

• Marya Meyer, Interim Executive Director:  “We are collaborating with the City of Miami, Miami-Dade County and community partners to raise awareness that pregnant people are at greater risk of suffering adverse effects of extreme heat. Heat exposure is linked to higher rates of premature birth (climbing in Miami Dade, and far higher for black and brown mothers), linked to greater risk of infant mortality and lifelong health consequences.” 

On Friday, May 28 The Women’s Fund Miami-Dade, in partnership with City and County officials, will hold a press conference to launch the beginning of the heat and pregnancy health outdoor public awareness campaign on National Heat Awareness Day.

>>>> To learn more, contact Viviana Alvarado Pacheco at The Women's Fund Miami-Dade at [email protected] or 757-206-3363.

Miami Climate Health & Equity Coalition (MCHEC):  We need community-led solutions to address heat in an equitable way.     

• Mayra Cruz, MPH, Climate Justice Director, Catalyst, Miami: Across the US, poorer neighborhoods, often where communities of color live, are much hotter than whiter, richer neighborhoods. Wealthier neighborhoods tend to be lusher with fewer roads and big buildings, as well as more cooling greenspace. These residents are also more likely to be able to afford AC and better-quality housing that protects against heat. “The same marginalized communities that see greater rates of chronic illnesses and poverty are also those that are hotter,” Mayra said. “Poorer families have less cash to spend on AC and other ways to keep cool.”
  
  >>>> To Interview Mayra Cruz at Catalyst, or talk to front-line communities, contact her at 786-527-2573. 

Florida Clinicians for Climate Action (FCCA):  Center Equity in Climate-Health Solutions  

• Dr. Cheryl Holder, Founding Co-Chair, said, “Most of my patients are working at the lowest tiers of South Florida’s thriving agriculture, construction, hospitality and health care industries.” Some people are more vulnerable to heat than others. Older people, people with health conditions such as respiratory or circulatory problems and people taking certain medications, (e.g., antidepressants,) are more likely to experience heat-related illnesses. We must look at solutions with an equity lens.  Programs that help low-income people have access to cooling will improve social determinants of health. 
  
  >>>> To Interview Dr. Cheryl Holder, call Melissa Baldwin at 727-743-3778  

WeCount: Outdoor Workers Deserve Access to Shade, Rest, Water  

• Oscar Londoño, Executive Director, WeCount!:  Florida’s outdoor workers in agriculture, day labor, and construction will increasingly be at high risk of experiencing the “silent killer” of heat-related illness. “Outdoor workers perform essential work that drives our economy, unfortunately, they do not have a federal or state standard to protect them from heat at the workplace.” Unlike other states, Florida has no heat standard to provide outdoor workers with access to heat stress education, water, shade, and rest breaks.  The CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has recommended better labor protections against heat for American workers for decades. WeCount! launched a local campaign, “Que Calor!” to talk about the risk of extreme heat faced by outdoor workers.

>>> To Contact WeCount!, call Oscar Londoño at 786-342-9515. 

RESEARCH & EXPERTS

Florida International University (FIU) 

To interview faculty or students at FIU, contact Candice Allouch, Program Director of Communications and Strategic Partnerships, FIU Institute of Environment, an FIU Preeminent Program at 305-919-4121 or [email protected], or Chrystian Tejedor  at [email protected]

FIU FACULTY

• Jayantha Obeysekera is a Research Professor and Director of the Sea Level Solutions Center in the FIU Institute of Environment. He can speak to sea level rise and adaptation. Obeysekera previously served as chief modeler at the South Florida Water Management District, where he had a leading role in modeling of the Everglades and Kissimmee River and Everglades restoration projects. He was co-author of the sea level rise projections report published by NOAA for the National Climate Assessment. He also co-authored a report on regional sea level projections for Department of Defense facilities across the globe.
• Christopher Baraloto is a Professor and Director of the FIU Institute of Environment’s Land and Biodiversity division. He leads the Grove ReLeaf citizen science project which aims at understanding the canopy composition of Miami, particularly in the neighborhood of Coconut Grove. It focuses on the eco-benefits of trees, such as shade. He also leads research on the impact that global climate change has on terrestrial ecosystems, biodiversity and forest management.

FIU STUDENTS

• Meenakshi Chabba Jerath is a Ph.D. candidate at Florida International University’s Department of Earth and Environment and Extreme Events Institute. Her research will examine the perception of heat risk and the differential heat stress impacts on South Florida residents’ health, subjective well being, daily life, and work productivity. Her work will further investigate South Florida farm workers’ coping strategies for extreme heat and residents’ adaptive preferences regarding nature-based solutions
  

University of Miami  

To interview experts at University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, contact Diana Udel at [email protected] or 786-256-4446.  

FACULTY

• Amy Clement is a Professor in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. She is an expert in climate modeling and in her research, she strives to understand the mechanisms of past, present, and future climate change.

Abess Center Student Research Affiliates  

• Lynée Turek-Hankins is a second-year Ph.D. student in Environmental Science & Policy at the University of Miami’s Abess Center. She researches how the built environment, housing, and energy influence extreme heat exposure and opportunities for equitable adaptation among frontline communities. Next spring she will be working on a citizen science research collaborative to document indoor heat exposure among vulnerable households in Miami. If you live in a household with limited air conditioning usage or face energy insecurity and are interested in participating in this study, you can reach out to her at [email protected]. (https://climateprep.rsmas.miami.edu/index.html)
• Nkosi Muse is a first-year Environmental Science and Policy Ph.D. student. His work involves using mixed methods to identify areas, communities, and populations that are most exposed to climate hazards—especially extreme heat. This work is key in informing and furthering climate resilience research, as well as advocating for inclusive and equitable policy. (https://climateprep.rsmas.miami.edu/index.html)                               
  >>>> To interview, contact Nkosi at [email protected]

Applied Climatologists

• Laurence S. Kalkstein, Ph.D. is the President, Applied Climatologists, Inc. which is a research lab that is developing heat/health warning systems around the world to notify local weather service offices when the weather is dangerous enough to cause negative health outcomes.
  >>>> To interview Dr. Kalkstein, call  302-584-5731 or email [email protected].  

BACKGROUND ON HEAT 

Heat is the Number One Weather-Related Killer  

Heat kills more people than other weather-related events, and official numbers are likely underestimated. In 2020 the health journal The Lancet reported that heat related deaths for older people in the US almost doubled in the past two decades, hitting a high of some 19,000 deaths in 2018. 

Future Heat Predictions for the Miami Area are Startlingly Bad

The non-profit Union of Concerned Scientists “Killer Heat” report shows that while Miami Dade County currently experiences around 41 days a year that “feel like” 100°F, residents will experience 134 such days by mid-century if current emissions continue, and 115 even if bold action is taken to cut heat-trapping carbon emissions. Climate Central, an organization providing information about climate impacts in the US, has made similarly dire predictions. Everyone is at risk of heat-related illnesses and especially with US spikes in average daytime and nighttime temperatures, yearly highs and the number and severity of heat waves.

Miami-Dade County’s Chief Heat Officer is A Move In The Right Direction 

Miami-Dade County’s newly formed position of Chief Heat Officer and the associated heat task force is a great step. Another important improvement was in March the Miami Division of Emergency Management updated its extreme heat dangers webpage to include a broader range of vulnerable populations, including pregnant people (see here for a resource on why heat is a reproductive justice issue in the US), outdoor workers and noted inequities in risk between neighborhoods.

More Government Action is Needed to Protect the Most Vulnerable 

Weatherization and cooling subsidies should be more readily accessible and more generous. More attention must be paid to raising awareness about heat-related illnesses and who is most vulnerable. Planning for interventions, such as tree planting and placement of cooling centers should be designed with equity and the needs of the most vulnerable communities in mind.

This year, the Florida Legislature passed a bipartisan Resilience bill to combat sea level rise. Unfortunately, the legislation raids the affordable housing fund, and it does nothing to address heat, or to get to the root of the problem.  Fortunately, local Counties like Miami-Dade are taking proactive action through Resilient 305.  Comprehensive action is required at the state, federal, and international levels to keep greenhouse gas emissions within safe limits.  

Media Contacts:

To interview Shading Dade citizen scientists, contact Alyssa Hernandez at [email protected]. 

To interview experts at Florida International University, contact Candice Allouch, at 305-919-4121 or [email protected], or Chrystian Tejedor  at [email protected].

To interview experts at University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, contact Diana Udel at [email protected] or 786-256-4446.  

To interview clinicians, including, Dr. Cheryl Holder with Florida Clinicians for Climate Action,  call Melissa Baldwin at 727-743-3778  or email [email protected].  

To Interview farmworkers, contact Oscar Londoño at WeCount! at 786-342-9515.

To Interview front-line communities, contact Mayra Cruz at Catalyst Miami at 786-527-2573. 

To interview human rights advocates regarding maternal health in the climate crisis, contact Amanda Klasing at Human Rights Watch at  [email protected]g or 646-427-5113.