Press Releases

MIAMI, FL – Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24) joined Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson for a tour of the Liberty Square housing complex on Wednesday, April 12, 2017. Secretary Carson's two-day visit to Miami was part of a national listening tour he is conducting to learn first-hand about the public's experiences with and concerns about affordable housing. Congresswoman Wilson and Secretary Carson walked the grounds of Liberty Square to inspect unrenovated vacant units and later attended a public meeting with Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos A. Giménez, Related Urban Group CEO Jorge Pérez, and other community leaders.

Related Urban Group showed a video presentation featuring renderings of Liberty City Rising, a multi-million dollar renovation project that will replace the dilapidated Liberty Square housing complex with 1400 modernized apartments, a state-of-the-art community center, a national grocery store, and other businesses.

"Public housing is essential in a city like Miami, where housing costs are among the highest in the nation," said Congresswoman Wilson. "This renovation project will not only provide much-needed affordable housing, but also will generate thousands of new jobs. This is a win-win for our city, and I am looking forward to witnessing this community's renewal through redevelopment."

The tour concluded with Secretary Carson hand-delivering to Mayor Giménez a disposition letter from the federal government giving Miami-Dade County approval to demolish the Liberty Square housing complex and begin the four-year renovation project.

"This project is long overdue," said Congresswoman Wilson. "Liberty Square is Miami's oldest public housing complex and was once a vibrant part of our city, built as housing for the brave men and women returning from World War II. Today is the first step in restoring this community to its rightful place as the heartbeat of our city."