Casa Familia Makes History with Funding Approval for the First Residential Community in Miami-Dade County for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD)

Deborah Lawrence

MIAMI, FL– Casa Familia, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization advocating for adults with IDD, was awarded capital funding, by a unanimous vote from the Florida Housing Finance Corporation Board, on May 10, 2019, for the first affordable housing community in Miami-Dade County for this underserved population

 This milestone award of $15 million in federal tax credits and $4 million grant, allows Casa Familia to begin planning and continue raising the necessary funds to ensure the development and sustainable operations of this groundbreaking community.

State Senator Anitere Flores

The Village of Casa Familia will be located in Kendall, near Indian Hammocks Park. The 50-unit complex will be a campus style, pedestrian-friendly community enriched with extensive amenities tailored to the unique needs of individuals with IDD, including those most vulnerable.

 This first-of-its-kind community will be a place where residents can receive the long-term support and accommodations they need to live independent and fulfilled lives.

Miami-Dade County Commissioner Javier Souto

“There has never been an affordable independent living community developed anywhere in South Florida for this underserved population," says  Deborah Lawrence, Vice President of Casa Familia.   

"Most adults with IDD continue to have unmet needs. They have limited choices, and without help, rarely participate in the community, due to a lack of access to transportation and other services.

State Representative Nick Duran

"For aging caregivers the demands of caring for loved ones is often overwhelming, and alternative solutions grow increasingly urgent. Casa Familia is proud to sponsor this first-of-its-kind community in Miami-Dade County and help address this national crisis."

Florida is taking the lead in creating these types of communities, as The Village of Casa Familia will be the sixth community funded in the past five years. Nearly 5% of Florida’s total population has an intellectual and/or developmental disability.

State Representative Daniel Perez

According to the State of the States, in Florida, 74% of individuals with IDD live with a family caregiver; a third of which live with a caregiver age 60 and older.

As this generation of caregivers continues to age, many of their adult children with IDD are at risk of homelessness.

Current residential options are either inappropriate or out of their economic reach, particularly in Miami-Dade County, where the average cost of a one-bedroom apartment  is $1,147, far above the economic capacity of the average adult with IDD, most of whom subsist on $771 in Supplemental Security Income.

Ron Book

Atlantic | Pacific Communities partnered with Casa Familia to develop, build, and manage the property in accordance with the not-for-profit’s vision. The design phase of the project began on June 1, 2019.

Eric Jawitz, a 31-year-old with IDD remarked, “I’m happy communities like this are being supported and built for people like me.

 I currently live at home with my parents and I would like to have my own apartment, like my sister does, somewhere in Miami, so I can be close to my job.

 I think a community would be a great place for me to live.  I could live near my friends, make new friends, and we could do activities together at the community center. That way, I wouldn’t be so lonely.”

Marie-Ilene Whitehurst 

The Casa Familia project is made possible thanks to the support of its generous partners including Atlantic | Pacific Communities, UM CARD, United Community Options, Miami-Dade County, Commissioner Javier Souto, State Representative Nick Duran, State Representative Danny Perez, State Senator Anitere Flores, and Ron Book & staff.

For more information about Casa Familia, please visit www.casafamiliainc.org and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

If interested in supporting and contributing to the development of this community, please contact Marie-Ilene Whitehurst at mwhitehurst@casafamiliainc.org. 

Deborah Korge

For more information about A | P Companies and its array of real estate services including development, property management, affordable housing, and construction, visit www.apcompanies.com

Casa Familia’s Consulting Executive Director, Deborah Korge, has 25 years of nonprofit leadership and management experience including serving as Executive Director of Casa Valentina and of The Women’s Fund Miami-Dade.

 CONTACTS FOR A|P COMMUNITIES:  

Juliana Gutierrez | juliana@jwipr.com | 786.991.4259

Violeta Pereira |violeta@ jwipr.com | 786.371.3748