By
October 26, 2009

Conference Past President Miami Mayor Manny Diaz was joined by Armando Fana, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Field Office Director in Miami for the inauguration of La Palma Apartments, an affordable rental building for seniors in the city’s Little Havana neighborhood.

With residents of the new complex looking on, the officials in attendance cut the ceremonial ribbon leading into La Palma, a $12.7 million project for persons 62 years or older. The project features 90 one-bedroom/one-bathroom units. Peninsula Housing Development owns La Palma Apartments, which are fully leased.

Diaz and Fana were joined by Miami Commission Chair and candidate (to replace Diaz) Joe Sanchez, Rep. Carlos Lopez-Cantera of the Florida House of Representatives, and the Board of Directors of CODEC, Inc., who developed the project. Diaz will leave office in November because of term limits.

In a city long considered to have paid inadequate attention to the issue of affordable housing, Diaz, throughout his administration since 2001, has emphasized affordable housing production in the city on an unprecedented scale. While the effects of the economic downturn have seen production slow down, Miami realized some $800 million in affordable housing investment during Diaz’ tenure as mayor.

Miami provided $740,999 in support funding for the project including $485,191 in HOME funding and $255,808 in Affordable Housing Trust Funds. HUD provided a $11,002,500 Section 202 grant to the project while Miami-Dade County provided $1,000,000 in funding.

For more information on the La Palma Affordable Housing Project in Miami, contact Christine Bermudez Sola, Public Information Officer at the Department of Community Development: 305-416-2096; e-mail cbermudez@miamigov.com.