After working everywhere from Citibank to Miami-Dade County to Jungle Island, long time Miamian Bobbie Ibarra recently took the helm of Miami Coalition for the Homeless.
The organization raises money by selling surplus military equipment and has an invested endowment worth more than $5 million. It then disburses that money  to a number of groups throughout the community that do everything from offer meals to the homeless to provide shelter to trying to get them employed and independent.
Only a few weeks on the job, Ms. Ibarra said she’s looking to implement a better way to oversee the groups the coalition funds, and is looking to establish a strategic plan in the coming years that lines up with the Homeless Trust’s, a group the coalition helped start.
Miami has garnered attention nationwide for its staggering reduction in homeless, from more than 8,000 to less than 800 living on the streets today.
She said it was difficult to pinpoint exactly what’s needed to completely eradicated homeless, or if it could actually be done, but said increased community support around the issue could help reduce that number and prevent some from ever becoming homeless.
Finding that support is her primary goal.
“The biggest mark for me though would be for there to be a ground flow of community support around the issue,” she said, “and that's really working with the faith based communities who share like missions and getting there parishioners in a big way to speak to the issues.”
She discussed her plans for the coalition, her thoughts on the City of Miami’s “no-panhandling law” and the controversial panhandling meters with Miami Today staff writer Zachary Fagenson.