Community Based Initiatives
The Public Housing Safety Initiative
The Public Housing Safety Initiative or PHSI is a law enforcement prevention intervention community empowerment initiative focusing on improving living conditions in public housing developments throughout the United States. The initiative is funded by the United States Department of Justice and the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. The initiative has been active in cities across the country including: Miami, Florida; Detroit, Michigan; San Juan Puerto Rico; Houston, Texas; Baltimore, Maryland; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Atlanta, Georgia; Los Angeles, California and others.
In the Southern District of Florida, the Public Housing Safety Initiative was funded from January 2006 through June 2008 and consisted of collaboration among a number of concerned residents, local police, community groups, city and county government agencies and non-profits. The Miami-Dade Housing Authority leased space to Miami-Dade Weed and Seed for the operation of a 20 station computer lab which continues to serve residents of the Liberty Square Housing Development. The computer center is staffed primarily with neighborhood residents and serves as many as 60 young people per day.
"Project Liberty" as the collaboration is called consists of problem solving meetings with housing authority staff, local police and residents; youth sports programs for Liberty Square young people; the computer lab; tutoring and standardized test preparation; a GED program and other personal growth and development activities centered at the Liberty Square Housing Development.
The Liberty Square Residents Council, the City of Miami Police Department, Weed and Seed, the Hosanna Family Foundation, Lindsey Hopkins Vocational Center, Helping Hands Youth Sports Development Group and others began this collaboration in early 2006 and it continues to date in service to the residents of Liberty Square.