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Miami

In a City of Foreign-Born, Change Is Welcome

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Immigration has shaped Miami : 60 percent of its population is foreign-born, mostly from the Caribbean and Central and South America, giving Miami the highest concentration of foreign-born residents among the 100 largest metropolitan areas in the United States. As a result, the city has become America ’s financial gateway to the south: the Beacon Council ( Miami-Dade County 's Official Economic Development Partnership) lists more than 25 major national and international corporations whose Latin American headquarters are in Miami.

But between the riches of the financial world and of beachgoing tourists on the one hand, and Miami ’s poorer residents on the other, lies a significant gap: Miami has an unusually small middle class. Once its poor immigrants succeed in moving up the income ladder, they leave. Miami ranks last among major cities in median income, and has the fifth lowest home ownership rate. Only 16 percent of its adult residents have a bachelor’s degree.

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A growing number of CDCs and other local organizations have come into being since the 1980s to respond to the critical housing and social needs within Miami-Dade County ’s disadvantaged neighborhoods. With help from Living Cities, they have built and rehabilitated hundreds of affordable homes and rental apartments and have helped many new businesses get their start. By getting residents access to education, good jobs, and financial planning, they hope to build and retain the middle class Miami needs.