Health Resources
Although there is no evidence of a health department within the community, there are several public, proprietary and non-profit private hospitals that are easily accessible to the population of 51,003 as per the 2010 estimates (City-Data.com, 2013). These health institutions provide in-patient and mental health services to the community. Additionally, there are several physician and dental offices within the community, and the poor neighborhoods benefit from free clinics provided during the weekends. Health promotion programs mostly targeting cancer, diabetes and healthy living habits are often advertised in billboards and the mainstream media.
There are numerous drug stores located in areas that can be easily accessible by car, bicycle or foot. The community has four public elementary schools, one public middle school, one public high school, and one private school. There is evidence of several middle-level colleges and institutions of higher learning. While the private school is found in a high-end neighborhood within the community, public schools are mostly found in densely populated neighborhoods but are nevertheless adequately balanced.
Occupational health services in the community are provided by the Miami County administration, and often involve the surveillance of work environments to protect employees from work-related hazards. The community has well-established official and voluntary support services run by non-governmental organizations, faith-based charities, and other public agencies. Similarly, there are several service organizations and faith-based programs operating in neighborhoods occupied mostly by poor African Americans and Latinos. Although there are numerous stores and business enterprises within the community, it is evident that fast-food restaurants in the Hammocks are more compared to farmers’ markets and grocery stores (Miami-Dade Country, 2007), pointing to a problem of unhealthy eating habits.
Citizen Safety and Protective Services
The community is serviced by the Hammocks District Police Station and several other police posts located strategically in crime-prone neighborhoods. There is also evidence of fire station houses and a fire hydrant, implying that fire emergencies can be adequately dealt with. While most of the houses in upper-end neighborhoods are gated and have visible security and alarm systems, those in low-end neighborhoods lack these facilities and people rely on neighborhood watch and community policing programs to maintain safety. There is evidence of shelters for domestic abuse victims, drug abusers, alcoholics, and tornado/hurricane victims.
The Hammocks community is located approximately six miles west of Kendall and its geographical boundaries are clearly defined as administrative units. The political landscape is heterogeneous although the majority of the people subscribe to the republican political thought (Cohen, 2012). Additionally, there are clearly defined economic boundaries, particularly between high-end and low-end neighborhoods within the community. These economic boundaries are illustrated in housing and zoning, whereby high-end areas have expensively built houses with state-of-the-art amenities and parking lots, while most low-end areas resemble a general slum environment. Zoning in high-end areas is effectively coordinated since houses in various high-end neighborhoods follow a distinct plan. However, zoning in low-end neighborhoods has not been effectively coordinated by the relevant agencies. Although one in every ten people in the Hammocks community is unemployed (Miami-Dade County, 2007), the situation is worse in low-end neighborhoods, leading to societal decay as witnessed by high crime levels, drug and/or substance abuse, and prostitution.
Transportation and other Services
There is an expansive road and rail network in the area, and major access links are also in a good condition. There is evidence of well maintained parks and recreational areas, as well as open spaces allocated by the planning department for young children to play during weekends. Additionally, there is evidence of day care centers for young children and long-term care centers for the elderly.
Community Welfare Services
There is evidence of several community welfare services that operate beyond the Miami region. The agencies involved in these services partner with local community-based and faith-based organizations to provide services to the 8.6 percent of the population who live below the poverty level as per the 2011 census data (United States Census Bureau, 2013).
References
City-Data.com. (2013). The Hammocks, Florida.
Cohen, M. (2012). The political economy of Florida. The New York Times. Web.
Miami-Dade County. (2007). Community health report card: Health improvement through benchmarking, priority setting and leadership engagement. Web.
United States Census Bureau. (2013). Miami-Dade County, Florida. Web.