By Keith Loria, Contributing Editor
Miami—The Anchorage Apartments, located in the Liberty City neighborhood of Miami-Dade County, is a public-private partnership between Carlisle Development Group and Miami-Dade County Public Housing & Community Development to provide new affordable housing for youth transitioning out of the foster care system.
Located at 2320 NW 62nd St., Carlisle built the 22-unit, three-story apartment building with at least eight apartments devoted to youth aging out of the system.
“After turning 21, youth are no longer able to be cared for under the foster care system and, consequently, there is significant need in South Florida for high quality, affordable housing for these young men and women who need support in their transition to adulthood,” Jake Morrow, project manager for Carlisle Development Group, tells MHN. “The Anchorage offers a place of hope and serves as an example of how we can combat homelessness in our very early adult population by providing youth aging out of foster care a safe and affordable place to call home, and meaningful supportive services and programs.”
The Anchorage features one- and two-bedroom apartments, ranging from 630 to 940 square feet, for working families and individuals making between 50 to 60 percent of the Area Median Income.
Community amenities include a gazebo, secure gated entry, computer center, gym, library, on-site laundry facility and a community center. Residential amenities include ceiling fans, dishwashers and microwave ovens, as well as green features, such as water conserving plumbing fixtures, Energy Star rated appliances and low emission paints, adhesives and carpets.
In addition, a series of resident programs will be provided on-site and at no cost to all the residents. Those include quarterly financial counseling including tax preparation assistance by qualified professionals and educational workshops on topics such as Learning to Budget, Handling Personal Finances, Predatory Lending or Comparison Shopping for the Consumer.
“There will also be quarterly employment assistance program workshops offering employment counseling,” Morrow says. “Also, to ensure that our youth aging out of the foster care residents receive the services necessary to achieve maximum self-sufficiency, independent supportive services will be provided by local non-profit agencies, Citrus Health Network and Our Kids of Miami-Dade.”
Those include life skills training, parenting classes, leadership development, comprehensive health care, educational assessment and future goals, financial literacy and mentor support.
The Liberty City neighborhood, known as “Model City,” is one of many of the older, inner ring suburbs that lie just beyond the city limits of Miami proper and features significant portions of the population with household incomes lower than the area median income.
