The Miami YPN board from the Miami Association of Realtors recently partnered with the other 4 Leadership Boards to assist in helping launch a container home project in South Miami. After months of research and hard work from Danielle Blake, Jack Levine, and other dedicated MIAMI REALTORS®, it was time to go in front of county commissioners to get the votes they need to break ground on the NAR Pilot Programs container home projects.  On November 8th 2018 after much deliberation, the resolution revising inventory list of real property finally passed!   The groundbreaking ceremony was recently held on January 9th at the site of the future container home at 6180 SW 63 Terrace, South Miami. 

The project is the first of its kind in South Florida to combine an affordable housing solution with a container retrofitted for housing use. Miami currently has a lack of affordable housing and the association views this concept as one of the ways to ease the affordability crunch. When finished, the home will be sold to a buyer who earns less than $51,000 a year. South Miami, like many other areas of South Florida, is dealing with an affordability crisis. Surrounding comparable properties (single family homes with 1,000 sq. ft. or less) are selling for up to $572 per sq. ft. 

The county has owned this lot as surplus land since November 1978. It was plotted in 1925, and this is the first time anything will be built on the property. The county commission has agreed to donate the land in exchange for a deed-restricted to maintain affordability for 20-60 years under the terms of the county’s infill housing program.

We are looking to partner with our YPN Allstars in the next year for more community service initiatives. If you have any ideas please reach out to our leadership board to collaborate!