Confronting Miami-Dade’s housing crisis, Commissioner Higgins has led the charge on identifying solutions. Focusing on transit-oriented development, she has increased affordable housing supply by initiating, preserving, and creating nearly 3,500 affordable housing units in District 5 alone.• Transforming 25+ acres of underutilized land to develop mixed-use neighborhood with affordable housing located within minutes of the County’s transportation hub• Spearheaded funding programs to help landlords preserve Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing• Expedited permitting for affordable housing developments• Increased incentives for homeownership programs• Reduced water hookup fees by hundreds of thousands of dollars for small affordable housing developmentsFighting for transportation solutions and safer, walkable neighborhoods is a top priority for Commissioner Higgins who serves as the chair of the Urban Mobility Task Force and of the Transportation, Mobility, and Planning Committee. Her committee is charged with implementing the Miami-Dade SMART Plan’s six mass-transit corridors, including monorail, BRT, and rail systems. One corridor began construction in 2021. • Adopted mobility policies to accelerate pedestrian priority zones and cycling infrastructure, including fully-pedestrianized streets, lower speed limits, a downtown cycling network, and a slow streets neighborhood• Championed strategic redesign of the County’s bus network to improve service and increase ridershipCommissioner Higgins is an advocate for increased economic opportunities the County’s small businesses. She created the $25 million RISE Miami-Dade Fund, a revolving loan fund that gives small businesses access to the capital they need to recover now and to thrive in the future.Representing a district with Biscayne Bay at its center, she passed the strongest fertilizer ordinance in Florida to stop fertilizer nutrient runoff causing dangerous algae blooms and fish kills.