HUD awards Miami-Dade County $40 million grant for neighborhood transformation in South Dade

Today, Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced that Miami-Dade County has received a $40 million Choice Neighborhoods Implementation (CNI) grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).The highly competitive grant will be used to transform Cutler Manor Apartments, an aging HUD-assisted housing development located in the Goulds neighborhood in South Dade, into a new more resilient mixed-income community and catalyze broader community change, from workforce initiatives to micro-business investments and mobility improvements.   

Michele Perez, Assistant Deputy Secretary for HUD’s Office of Field Policy and Management joined Mayor Levine Cava and representatives from the Preservation of Affordable Housing, Inc. (POAH), Carrfour Supportive Housing, residents and community partners for the announcement. 

 "I am pleased to see that Miami-Dade County is receiving this Choice Neighborhoods award,” said HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge. “Miami-Dade County has demonstrated its commitment to neighborhood revitalization, having already undergone a comprehensive local planning effort to redevelop the Cutler Manor and the surrounding Goulds neighborhood. This public investment, which represents the maximum amount for grants targeting smaller housing developments, will give local officials the resources they need to achieve their vision for Goulds.” 

 Late last week HUD awarded $370 million in Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant Awards to eight communities nationwide including Miami-Dade County, Tucson, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia. 

“This announcement comes at a critical time for Miami-Dade County and the Goulds community as our residents navigate a difficult housing market, and we work harder than ever to build and restore new units to increase supply,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “It is an honor for Miami-Dade County to have been selected as one of eight communities nationwide to receive this significant investment from the federal government to redevelop and revitalize Goulds. I look forward to continuing to work with our Commissioner in District 9, Kionne McGhee, to bring much-needed change to this neighborhood.” 

Miami-Dade's eight-year grant will put in motion a community-led plan to rebuild the Cutler Manor Apartments in multiple phases to increase the number of affordable housing units from 218 to 445 developed by Preservation of Affordable Housing, Inc. (POAH). This will create a mixture of affordable, workforce and market rate housing that is resilient and energy-efficient and improves quality of life. The program also aims to create amenity-rich neighborhoods with high-performing schools, economic opportunities, support services and other public improvements. 

“Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) is thrilled to be a partner with Miami-Dade County and Carrfour Supportive Housing in the comprehensive redevelopment of Cutler Manor,” said Aaron Gornstein, President and CEO of POAH. “We are grateful to HUD for providing this Choice Neighborhoods grant and we thank Mayor Levine Cava and the County Board of Commissioners for their leadership. POAH helped to craft this plan through the extensive input of the residents of Cutler Manor and the Goulds neighborhood and we will continue to put them front and center in our revitalization efforts.”