Its tropical-like climate made it the country's winter vegetable garden. The city also benefited from its proximity to Homestead Air Force Base. The town had a strong middle class created in part by the large community of military retirees. Since Andrew, Homestead has been plagued with a slow economy. Many businesses chose not to rebuild after Andrew, and government-subsidized housing became more prevalent.
Homestead is now a community in transition.
Local leaders hope to attract new businesses and middle income homeowners to help the city fully recover from the storm. Homestead Air Force Base is to be developed into a commercial airport. Several environmental groups oppose the commercial airport at the base because it's so close to Everglades National Park and Biscayne National Park. They believe such an industrial use will damage the area's delicate ecology. The project is currently in the pipelines of different local, state and federal agencies.