LHRT Board Applications Due Tomorrow for Little Haiti Leaders

The City of Miami's Little Haiti Trust (LHRT) is calling for applications to fill board positions, with submissions due by 4 p.m. Friday, May 13, 2026. According to the city's official website, community members interested in guiding revitalization efforts in Little Haiti should contact Administrative Assistant Gabyson Cadestin at (305) 960-2964 for information on the purpose, duties and appointment process (City of Miami, LHRT Announcements and Applications page). This recruitment comes as Little Haiti and adjacent Little River see transformative development. SG Holdings, led by Swerdlow Group with partners SJM Partners and Alben Duffe, secured a 99-year lease with Miami-Dade County for a $3 billion mixed-use district to replace over 300 public housing units. The Miami-Dade County Housing Committee approved the project in March 2025 after developers committed to no resident displacement, 25% low-income workforce participation in construction and 30% subcontracts to minority- or women-owned businesses (Bisnow reporting on county records). Swerdlow Chief Strategy Officer Michael Liu emphasized local hiring, pledging 30% of permanent jobs to neighborhood residents. For Little Haiti locals near landmarks like the Little Haiti Cultural Center on NE 2nd Avenue, these board seats offer direct input on balancing growth with cultural preservation amid South Florida's fast-changing landscape. The timing aligns with state challenges, including an 11,000-acre Everglades wildfire degrading air quality across the region. Residents should monitor AirNow.gov for real-time updates and limit outdoor activities if AQI exceeds 100, as smoke drifts into Miami-Dade. LHRT involvement could tie into broader resilience efforts, connecting to Governor DeSantis' new foreign influence law effective July 1, which ends sister city ties potentially impacting cultural exchanges in immigrant-heavy Little Haiti. Amid rising public safety concerns like Martin County's sex trafficking arrests and Tampa's youth violence crackdown, strong community boards are vital for local advocacy. Applications ensure resident voices shape Little Haiti's future.