Eileen Higgins, Mayor, City of Miami

Invest: spoke with Eileen Higgins, mayor of the city of Miami, about affordability, permitting, mobility, small-business growth, and Miami’s global economic position. “We are on people’s radar as a place to invest in, move their businesses to, move their families to, and grow their economic future,” Higgins said.

What changes across Miami over the past year have most shaped your priorities as mayor?

Miami is an incredible city. We are on people’s radar as a place to invest in, move their businesses to, move their families to, and grow their economic future. It is thrilling to be mayor at such an important time, when Miami’s success on the world and national stage is accelerating.

With that prosperity and growth, housing prices have been on the rise. That is why I feel it is important to accelerate the construction of housing that people can afford, especially for working people. As companies move here, they will want to make sure the workforce can live here, too.

Where has Miami made the most progress in improving permitting, customer service, and overall government operations?

When I ran for mayor, I promised residents that I would make sure City Hall was a pleasure to do business with. A local government bureaucracy should not stop people from getting things done; it should help them get things done.

There is a reason we have rules in place, but those rules can be implemented quickly. Since I took office, we have taken immediate action to accelerate our permitting process.

For single-family homeowners, it used to take six months to a year, or more, to get a permit for work such as replacing windows, a roof, a front door, or redoing a bathroom without moving plumbing. We have launched same-day, no-delay permitting, and we have extended that service online.

Commercial buildings can now get a yearlong permit for basic repairs. They do the work, tell us what was done, have it inspected, and then close the permit. Permitting is crucial because that is how we build housing, open small businesses, and move flooding and infrastructure projects forward more quickly and cost-effectively.

How are you working to balance Miami’s economic momentum with affordability and stability for long-time residents and the local workforce?

When costs are high, we can accelerate the construction of affordable housing to bring costs down, and we can make it less expensive for people to build housing for our workforce. That includes density bonuses for affordable and workforce housing, impact fee waivers, and accelerated permitting.

We are also looking at adding new types of housing that do not exist in the city of Miami code. Last month, we changed our zoning code to allow single-family homes and duplexes in neighborhoods that are typically zoned for something like a six-story building. Sometimes, there is a lot that is just too small for that kind of project. Now, people can build two duplexes there, which helps avoid empty lots and enables housing to be built.

This month, we are unveiling cottage housing, which is common in the Northeast. It allows two small, detached single-family homes on a smaller lot. I expect those types of housing units to be available to build by the end of the summer, after the remaining steps in the zoning process.

The starter homes that our grandparents and parents could buy were often 1,200 square feet and two bedrooms, but they were affordable and gave families a first step into homeownership. Today, there are not enough small homes in Miami for young people and young professionals starting out.

What investments or policy changes are most critical to improving connectivity across the city?

One project that is important to the city of Miami is progressing extremely well: commuter rail service between downtown Miami and eventually all the way to Fort Lauderdale. We call it the Northeast Corridor. It will have stops in downtown Miami, Midtown, the Design District, Little Haiti, North Miami, and the FIU Biscayne Bay campus.

We are fortunate that there is federal funding in President Trump’s budget for that project, along with matching funds currently in the state budget, plus local funds. Engineering is proceeding, and it will bring relief to what is already a dense corridor along Biscayne Boulevard.

The city is also redoing its trolley master plan. We have not revised our trolley routes in many years, so we are holding community meetings to talk with residents about how they use the trolley and how they would like to use it. We have also piloted on-demand services in neighborhoods like Coconut Grove and downtown.

Importantly, we are making our area more walkable. The Underline is almost finished in the city of Miami. Eventually, it will be a 10-mile linear park that makes it easier, safer, and more pleasant to walk or bike to a transit station. The first trip on transit starts in a pair of sneakers.

Housing and transit for me are connected, because that is the root of the affordability crisis for many families in Miami. When we build affordable and workforce housing near reliable transportation, we address the two highest-cost items for families: housing and transportation.

How does Miami’s diversity and international connectivity shape your approach to economic development and community engagement?

Our city is unlike anyplace else. We have a little bit of everything here, and we are used to being a trilingual place with English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole. It is key that city services be delivered capably and caringly to residents in all three languages.

Our welcoming spirit is also part of our economic strength. It is why businesses choose to locate here. If a Brazilian, Mexican, or Spanish business is looking for a headquarters, they know that in Miami, they and their employees are going to fit right in. Miami has a reputation as a place where you are valued, your business is valued, and your family is valued.

How is the city working to create an environment where local entrepreneurs can grow and succeed?

We are a small-business community. In Miami-Dade County, 8 out of every 10 businesses have fewer than 10 employees, so our economy depends on small businesses succeeding. When I was county commissioner, I established a program called Elevate Small Business in my district, which covered about a third of the city of Miami and had 8,000 small businesses.

Through that program, we offered technical development, financial management skills, training on how to use artificial intelligence to improve communications and business operations, an intense 12-week scale-up program, and two revolving loan funds dedicated to giving access to capital. Since becoming mayor, I have launched that program citywide. We have 15,000 businesses in the city, and these entrepreneurs and small-business owners must succeed.

Looking ahead, what will be most important to ensure Miami remains competitive, resilient, and accessible?

We have to continue telling the Miami story and looking at the new sectors coming here. There is a lot happening in the wellness sector, and I do not think there is a global headquarters for that kind of industry. I hope Miami becomes the epicenter of it.

Climate is also critical. If we do not adapt, we will be under water. Miami should be a centerpiece for climate technology, whether that is technology on your phone or physical technology.

We continue to see AI companies, biotech companies, and fintech companies coming here. My job at City Hall is to make sure that when they come here, it is easy to do business, get permits, and open. On the back end, we also have to do the work the city needs to do to prevent flooding. We have a major stormwater master plan to implement, for example.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

In a world where so many exciting new industries and companies are coming to Miami, we also have people who have lived here forever, many of whom have been in service-sector jobs that generally offer lower wages and fewer benefits.

By the time I am done, I want one of my accomplishments to be creating a robust workforce development program that connects our residents to high-wage opportunities. These new companies coming here are not just bringing jobs; they are bringing careers. I want to make sure people who have long lived in the city of Miami are connected and prepared for those jobs.