August 15, 2004 Maria Ortiz-Hill, Director Community Planning and Development United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Florida State Office, Brickell Plaza Federal Building 909 SE 1st Avenue, Room 500 Miami, FL 33131 Dear Ms. Ortiz-Hill: On behalf of the citizens of Miami and the City Commission, I am pleased to present you the City of Miami’s Five-Year Consolidated Plan for 2004-2009. This comprehensive plan is the product of the cooperative effort of all City Departments, elected officials, area organizations and citizens. Through this process, we have created a Consolidated Plan that provides a clear picture of the City of Miami and its community development, housing and public service needs. As the City of Miami continues to take a more business-like approach to government, we are looking to making the most of each and every dollar given to the City. The City is looking to bring maximum benefit to its low-income citizens through increased inter-department cooperation and partnership with existing programs. In addition, my Poverty Initiative, created last year, complements the City of Miami Consolidated Plan by providing much needed additional resources to our residents. It has been well publicized that the 2000 Census considers the City of Miami as the poorest of the largest cities in the nation. It is our hope that the priorities and strategies outlined in the Plan lead to our ultimate goal of ending poverty in our City. We feel confident that this strategic plan defines a specific course of action for the revitalization of the City of Miami’s communities. As Mayor of the City of Miami, and with the City Commission’s full support, we pledge our commitment to the success of this plan to no longer be the poorest large city in the nation. Sincerely,