For over 35 years, Marleine Bastien built the Family Action Network Movement (FANM) into a recognized model for social justice, immigration reform, and economic empowerment. On Nov. 8, 2022, she carried that advocacy into County Hall, elected to represent District 2 on the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners.
“As a social worker, I learned how policy shows up in people’s lives: whether a family can stay housed, access health care, or feel safe engaging with government,” Bastien said. “FANM prepared me to lead with empathy, but also with discipline and persistence, which is exactly what effective governance requires.”
Now entering the final year of her first term, Bastien represents a diverse area spanning parts of Miami, North Miami, North Miami Beach, Opa-locka, Hialeah, and several unincorporated communities, including Liberty City. She took office during a period of acute strain defined by soaring housing costs and persistent infrastructure gaps.
Looking back, Bastien says the through line of her first term has been simple and deliberate.
“When I look back on my first term, I’m most proud of delivering real, visible progress in District 2,” she said. “We made historic investments in long-neglected infrastructure — clean water, sewer connections, and safer roads — while advancing housing policies that keep families, seniors, and working people in their homes. My focus has been simple: invest in communities that were left behind and make sure growth benefits the people who already live there.”
Housing and protection
Few issues weigh more heavily on Bastien than housing affordability. She sees the crisis not as a market fluctuation, but as a direct threat to family stability.
“What keeps me up at night is the growing gap between wages and the cost of housing, and how deeply that gap is destabilizing working families across Miami-Dade County,” she said.
She notes that while construction is booming, the inventory often misses the people who need it most.
“We are building, but we are not building enough housing that is truly affordable for the people who live and work here — teachers, healthcare workers, service employees, and seniors on fixed incomes,” she said. “When housing costs rise faster than incomes, families are forced to make impossible choices, and entire communities are pushed out.”
As chair of the county’s Housing Committee and commissioner, Bastien recalls confronting a fundamental disconnect when she took office.
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“When I started three years ago in Miami-Dade County, I was told we had affordable housing,” Bastien recalled. “But do you know what was considered ‘affordable’? Housing at 120% to 140% AMI —meaning incomes around $120,000 a year. My question has always been: affordable for who?”
Her response was a policy shift toward deep affordability.
“Every project that comes before me in my district must start with at least 40% AMI, serving working people who earn a minimum of about $37,000 per year,” she said.
Under her leadership, the county advanced projects guided by the core principle that development doesn’t mean displacement. Those efforts include the Eviction Protection Program and redevelopments at Palm Court, Palm Gardens,Kline Nunn Little River Plaza, and Little River Terrace, all designed to keep current residents in place.
She also pointed to projects such as Poinciana Park and South River Drive, which include units considered affordable for people earning as low as 40% AMI and on-site amenities such as community health clinics, fitness centers, and job training programs.
“We measure this impact in concrete ways: families staying together, children remaining in their schools, and communities growing stronger and more secure,” she said.
Altogether, Bastien noted, projects underway in District 2 will deliver more than 1,200 new units, with all current residents relocated on-site at no cost during construction.
“Housing is where residents feel change the fastest, because it touches everything,” she said. “Housing is about dignity, stability, and belonging.”
Long-term solutions
Bastien believes some of her most lasting work lies in expanding “missing middle” housing— options for families who earn too much for subsidies but too little to afford Miami-Dade’s soaring rents and home prices.
“These are our nurses, bus operators, hospitality workers, returning college graduates, and small business owners — the backbone of our local economy,” Bastien said. “By encouraging duplexes, triplexes, townhomes, and other modest-scale housing, we are creating real, sustainable options for working families to stay in Miami-Dade instead of being pushed out."
For homeownership and economic opportunity, Bastien sponsored legislation conveying more than 30 county-owned properties to the Infill Housing Program for first-time developers in District 2.
“These are regular people from our community now earning at least $200,000 per home sold —building generational wealth while producing affordable homes,” she said. “We’re transforming vacant and underused land into stable neighborhoods and new opportunities.”
She emphasized that the county’s and District 2’s housing strategy must be comprehensive, preserving existing stock, building on public land, and preventing displacement.
“Poinciana Park is a perfect example — after decades of delay, it will deliver affordable units while ensuring 25% Black-owned participation, so investment benefits the community,” Bastien said.
Accessory dwelling units, she added, offer flexible solutions for multi-generational families and seniors, while partnerships with cities across District 2 allow the county to leverage zoning tools and local expertise.
“We are not patching problems, we are building solutions. We are not reacting, we are planning,” she said.
Economic empowerment and immigration
Beyond housing, Bastien has focused on building economic engines that generate wealth within the district.
“Economic empowerment at the county level means creating real opportunities where people live, work, and invest — especially in communities that have historically been overlooked,” she said.
A cornerstone of that effort is the Marleine Bastien Small Business Grant Program, which secured $760,000 to help local entrepreneurs improve security, expand inventory, and purchase equipment.
She also emphasized the importance of quality jobs.
“That’s why projects like the Poinciana Industrial Center are so important,” she said. “It will bring more than 500 jobs to District 2, along with housing and retail options, allowing residents to live and work in the same community and reduce the strain of long commutes.”
She praised partnerships with Community Redevelopment Agencies, which she said are revitalizing commercial corridors through façade improvements, workforce development, and infrastructure upgrades.
“Economic empowerment means opportunity you can see and feel,” she said.
Moreover, representing one of the county’s most diverse districts, Bastien continues to center immigrant protections — work she describes as inseparable from her life’s mission.
“Many immigrant families are living with constant uncertainty — uncertainty about their legal status, about sudden policy changes, and about whether engaging with government or public services could put their families at risk,” she said.
She underscored that immigrants are essential workers and small business owners who sustain District 2’s economy.
“Immigrants are the lifeblood of Miami-Dade County,” Bastien said. “My life’s work has taught me that immigrant protections are not just about policy — they are about dignity and inclusion.”
The road to 2026
As she enters the final year of her term, Bastien says her focus is on delivering long-standing promises in housing, economic opportunity, and community revitalization. In 2026, she expects accelerated implementation of missing-middle housing, expanded small business grants, and continued revitalization of commercial corridors.
“Simply put, 2026 will be a year where promises become concrete results,” Bastien said.
She confirmed plans to seek re-election in November 2026, framing her campaign around continuity and accountability.
“I do plan to seek re-election, because the work is not finished and the progress we’ve made deserves to be built upon,” she said. “Three years ago, I promised good jobs, real affordable housing, and better infrastructure — roads, drainage, and parks that reflect the dignity of our community.”
She added: “If voters were to define my first term, I would want them to say it was defined by real, measurable progress, backed by real results, real accountability, and the courage to act.”
Ultimately, Bastien hopes her tenure will be remembered not only for the buildings erected or the roads paved, but also for her listening to constituents and restoring stability and trust.
“If residents can look back and say District 2 was stronger, safer, and more inclusive because I served, then I will know my time in office made a meaningful and lasting difference,” she said.
This story was produced by The Miami Times, one of the oldest Black-owned newspapers in the country, as part of a content sharing partnership with the WLRN newsroom. Read more at miamitimesonline.com.
