I'd like to invite you to the housing committee meeting on this 13th day of May 2025.

Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

Good afternoon.

The clerk's office has received notice that Commissioner Higgins will be absent from today's meeting.

Commissioner McGee.

Commissioner Ragalado.

Vice Chairman Gonzalez.

Chairwoman Bastian.

Here.

Two members present.

We do not have a quorum.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

While we're waiting for our colleagues to come, I see Commissioner Gonzalez coming.

So we with that, I think we have a quo.

Okay.

I'd like to invite our vice chair.

Yes.

To lead us in prayer and the pledge of allegiance.

Please bow your head.

Heavenly Father, we come to you to say thank you once again for giving us breath and protecting our families and our friends.

We also say to you thank you again for once allowing once again allowing Miami Dade County to stand as the beacon of hope for so many across this world.

And we also say thank you very much for blessing the state and this country and blessing this day and our mayor and all the county elected officials, along with the county employees who keep this machine going.

And we ask for all with your son's name.

Amen.

Please introduce yourself.

Madame.

Over 300 more domestic violence cases and 286 forcible sex offenses.

These numbers call for action, which is why the CFW is recommending the creation of two new CVAC centers in Miami Dade County in underserved areas to be identified by the administration, as well as a multimedia marketing campaign to advertise these two new facilities and raise awareness for CVAC locations as a whole.

Did you have a question?

Oh, okay.

I'm sorry.

Moving on to our next key policy area black maternal mortality rates.

We found that only 57% of black women receive adequate prenatal care.

Black maternal mortality has increased by nearly three times, and that black women have the highest infant mortality rates.

This is why we urge the BCC to authorize and fund a maternal health fair to be held by the Commission for Women, bringing local partners who will provide educational prenatal delivery and postnatal services.

And lastly, the CDAW data has identified economic opportunity and the wage gap as an area of need for the women of our community.

There is currently an 18% wage gap amongst full-time female workers as opposed to their male counterparts.

This figure has increased 5% since 2011.

Average earnings for a full-time woman was 41,454 a year compared to 50,577 a year for men.

That's 9,123 less per year.

And this disparity persists even amongst county employees with a 16.7% wage gap.

Women's medium pay for positions in the county was $64,522 compared to men's median pay of $77,446, a staggering $13,000 less on average.

This is why our recommendation is for the county to conduct an analysis on the county employee workforce and determine why a pay disparity exists and not just simply where it persists.

The goal is to find out why the disparity happens and create a roadmap for internal solutions across departments and leadership levels.

This includes our recommendations for this year.

Thank you again, Chair Bastien, Vice Chairman Gonzalez, this body, and the administration for the opportunity to discuss our findings and collaborate for the betterment of our community.

And our wonderful legislative committee who works so diligently every year to put these recommendations together.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

I have a question pertaining to the high level of violence, the increase of violence.

I'm I'm concerned about you said 80% uh increase.

It was an 84.7% increase.

What what do you what do you what do you think is going on here?

What's going on?

I think that we are not seeing enough visibility in these communities.

Our director Rose and I have been meeting with several groups, such as the Women's Fund, the UM Human Rights Law Clinic, um, and other key organizations, and quite frankly, there is not enough visibility in the community.

There's several organizations in several counties, including the and other and other groups like the White House that create databases on violence against women, and they create this transparency that's open to the public and visual.

And so that data helps groups, helps governments, helps politicians create laws that are actually effective and work to the benefit of the safety of women.

When these numbers are occulted, it's a lot harder for individuals such as yourself to create relevant policy in these areas.

Thank you.