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Looking for a home? Miami-Dade has a new housing program that could help – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale

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Looking for a home? Miami-Dade has a new housing program that could help – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale


(WSVN) – Owning a home is part of the American dream, but steep prices are keeping that dream from becoming a reality for many. A Miami-Dade County program is hoping to change that in today’s spotlight. Here’s Heather Walker.

Home sweet home!

Matthew Pigatt: “It’s great. I’m so happy to be home. It is awesome. We’re able to have space to play, to eat. It’s in a welcoming community.”

It’s all smiles in Matthew Pigatt’s house. He was able to afford a house in Miami Gardens that’s big enough for his family of four without leaving South Florida.

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Matthew Pigatt: “We were looking for further north in Central Florida and also in Georgia. Not only do you have the housing prices going up, you have interest rates going up and also the insurance costs.”

Their story is like many others here. Surging home prices have people thinking about leaving the Sunshine State, but Matthew found help in Miami-Dade that’s made his dream of a bigger home possible.

Zachary Rinkins, Miami-Dade Economic Advocacy Trust: “The Miami-Dade Economic Advocacy Trust Homeownership Assistance Program has a simple message for the residents out here in Miami-Dade County: your home ownership dreams are possible.”

The Homeownership Assistance Program is helping low-to-moderate income residents buy a home in Miami-Dade County, giving people a zero-interest loan of up to $28,500 that can be used toward a down payment and closing costs, making it easier to qualify for a mortgage.

Zachary Rinkins: “This program makes the dream of home ownership possible for a lot of people. You can use this resource and stack it with other grants to make your home purchase cheaper. You can also leverage it to make your financing cheaper, so it makes you have smaller payments for your mortgage.”

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More than 8,000 people have purchased a home through this program in Miami-Dade County. In addition to help with the loan, there’s also a support system to help you through the process.

Zachary Rinkins: “Once you come to our program, you have to be connected to a Housing and Urban Development certified counseling agency. The people that were connected to the support systems were more likely to be aware of that funding and apply for that funding and keep their homes.”

That support system helped Matthew navigate through his home-buying process.

Matthew Pigatt: “It was a very welcoming process. The staff there is amazing, and I encourage anyone to take full advantage of the program, because the resources are there for you.”

Resources that can make the American dream of home ownership become a reality for you.

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Heather Walker, 7News.

To find out if you qualify for the homeownership assistance program, click here.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Firefight at NW Miami-Dade warehouse enters 2nd day: ‘It burned it all up’

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Firefight at NW Miami-Dade warehouse enters 2nd day: ‘It burned it all up’


Video shows bright orange flames still burning at a warehouse in Northwest Miami-Dade on Friday, almost 24 hours after crews first responded.

The flames broke out before 11 a.m. Thursday, sending towers of thick black smoke into the sky, and crews have been attempting to put the fire out since.

Officials said the structure located just east of Red Road and south of Florida’s Turnpike Extension is more than twice the size of a Costco warehouse and contains hazardous materials inside.

More than 200 firefighters from both Broward and Miami-Dade counties have been fighting the blaze, which officials say could burn for days.

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The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Lives spared, livelihoods lost

Miami-Dade Deputy Fire Chief Danny Cardeso said no injuries were reported.

The driver of an 18-wheeler told NBC6 he was at the warehouse, which stores inventory for shipments, when the fire alarm went off.

He said everyone immediately evacuated, no one was hurt, and everyone inside was accounted for. Still, some workers and business owners fear they lost their livelihoods.

Benny Monción, who owns DBenny Sazón, one of the food trucks parked at the facility, was in tears when she spoke to NBC6 at the scene.

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She said a friend of hers who also owns a food truck called to tell her how he fared.

“He called me just now, we were watching the news, and my truck was still intact, but his, the fire got it,” she said, her voice breaking as she put her head in her hand. “It burned it all up.”

She said she wasn’t sure what had happened to her truck, which normally operates on 50 North University Drive in Pembroke Pines, as the fire raged.

“I ask God that mine at least can be OK, but I feel so bad [that his didn’t make it], because these are hardworking people, looking to earn their daily living that in this country is too hard,” Monción said. “It’s so many things.”

Air quality concerns

A public safety alert was issued at one point Thursday due to the heavy smoke. The alert recommended those with respiratory problems and medical conditions to shelter in place if possible.

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Dr. Donny Perez, a medical director at Memorial Regional Hospital South, said fires like this can send fine particles into the air that can irritate the lungs and cause coughing, shortness of breath, wheezing, chest tightness, sore throat, chest pain and palpitations.

“Even their eyes can get irritated, the sore throat. So the best thing is to stay indoors with the windows closed, avoid outdoor exercise. Wear an N-95 mask if you must go outside. Use your rescue inhalers as prescribed if you do have lung disease,” he said.

Resident Gloria Downey said the smoke was concerning, especially with the uncertainty about what materials could be burning.

“I mean I don’t know what’s in that building, but I have lived here since before that building was built off and on, and God knows what’s in there,” she said. “We have the house completely sealed. We have air filters running in both rooms. The air condition is off. It’s a little hot in Miami, but we’ll be all right.”

Drought and wind may hinder firefight

Winds on Friday are blowing consistently at 10-20 mph toward the northwest, pushing the smoke over a nearby landfill and out over the Everglades.

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“Just a couple of spotty little showers here, not enough to really help with the fire,” NBC6’s meteorologist Adam Berg said. “But the winds certainly don’t help.”

Traffic impacts

Officials asked people to avoid the area while they worked to put out the fire. Northwest 47th Avenue is closed between Honey Hill Drive (Northwest 199th Street) to Northwest 207th Drive.

Take Northwest 57th Avenue as an alternate route.



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Miami Gardens mother gets probation after her 2-year-old shot himself

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Miami Gardens mother gets probation after her 2-year-old shot himself


A mother in Miami Gardens has been sentenced to five years of probation after her 2-year-old son accidentally shot himself with a gun he found in her purse.

According to police, the incident happened last summer at an apartment complex in Miami Gardens. Authorities say the toddler grabbed his mother’s firearm from her purse and accidentally pulled the trigger, shooting himself in the leg.

Video captured at the scene showed the child being rushed to the hospital on a stretcher. The boy survived and has since fully recovered.

The child’s mother, 35-year-old Christina Monique Doyle, was arrested and charged with child neglect and culpable negligence for allowing easy access to the weapon. Prosecutors said those charges carried a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

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During a court hearing, the presiding judge, Alberto Milian, emphasized the responsibility that comes with gun ownership.

“I am a very pro-gun person, but along with the right and the privilege of having a gun comes responsibilities,” Milian said.

Doyle ultimately accepted a plea deal where she pleaded no contest, allowing her to avoid jail time. Instead, she was sentenced to five years of probation.

Her attorney, Dustin Tischler, said Doyle has no prior criminal record and described the incident as a mistake.

“She’s 35 years old, never been in trouble whatsoever in her life,” Tischler said. “She’s a very good mother, a very caring mother to several children. This has been a nightmare, and she’s happy to get it behind her.”

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Tischler also said the case should serve as a warning to gun owners about keeping firearms secure around children.

“Even though she had it in her purse and thought it was secure, the child was able to get to it when she was distracted,” he said. “If you have a firearm, it’s important to keep it locked away.”

Tischler said Doyle has completed a parenting program through the Florida Department of Children and Families and how she is allowed to have contact with her children, including her son who is now doing well after recovering from the injury.

NBC6 reached out to DCF about the case but we haven’t heard back yet.

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Miami’s own Marcello Hernandez delivers special tribute to former teacher on SNL

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Miami’s own Marcello Hernandez delivers special tribute to former teacher on SNL


Miami’s own pays tribute to former teacher on SNL Miami’s own Marcello Hernandez brought a piece of home to SNL for his latest performance, giving a tribute to his hometown and a special teacher in that classic Miami accent.

NEW YORK CITY — Miami’s own Marcello Hernandez brought a piece of home to SNL for his latest performance, giving a tribute to his hometown and a special teacher in that classic Miami accent.

During his performance, Hernandez definitely brought the character of “Mr. Fronzi” to life.

The over-the-top teacher with a big heart was a character inspired by his real-life theology teacher at Miami-Dade’s private Belen Jesuit Preparatory School, Angie Fernandez.

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And Hernandez even flew her up to New York City to see the skit live in person.

“When I saw the skit, I was flabbergasted. I laughed from here to eternity. It was so good,” Fernandez said. “I am so honored that he chose to imitate me. That’s the best compliment you can give somebody!”

Fernandez said that while Hernandez drove her crazy in her classroom, he was also always humble, honest and she calls him one of her favorite students.

Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.

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Jenise Fernandez

Jenise Fernandez is a six-time Emmy award winning anchor and reporter at Local 10 News. Currently, she anchors the 3 p.m. and 10 p.m. news, Monday through Friday.



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