Federal Funds Promised, Provided, and Used in Dade County, Florida, After the May 1980 Civil Disturbances

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the federal funds provided to Dade County, Florida, after the May 1980 civil disturbances, to determine: (1) what federal assistance was promised; (2) what federal assistance was provided; (3) where and how the funds were used; and (4) whether a significant portion of the funds was spent outside the black community.

GAO found that eight federal agencies promised assistance which totalled about $116 million; however, the funds that were made available were: (1) less than promised because of lower-than-anticipated appropriations; (2) not used because the assistance was targeted for projects that were not considered essential or a priority and not approved; or (3) either not used to benefit the riot-torn communitie; or used to benefit the riot-torn communities but were not identified as part of the relief effort. Of the $116 million, about $70.6 million in federal funds was expended, of which: (1) $43.2 million went to the riot-torn communities; (2) $8 million was used in other communities to relocate businesses outside the riot-torn areas; and (3) $1.9 million went to construction of a Job Corps center in a predominately Cuban community. The remaining $17.5 million was believed to have provided employment and training opportunities to the residents of the riot-torn communities. The funds also provided: (1) disaster relief for the black and Cuban communities; (2) economic development loans; (3) urban transportation facilities; (4) health and community development services; and (5) criminal justice and community relations improvements.