FIU and UM join forces to tackle affordable housing

Affordable housing is a growing concern in South Florida, and FIU’s Metropolitan Center and the University of Miami’s Office of Civic and Community Engagement have joined forces to tackle the issue.

With long-standing expertise and interest in South Florida’s housing affordability, the two university centers have formed the South Florida Housing Studies Consortium (SFHSC) to further research and develop data-driven strategies that promote affordable housing for low and moderate-income residents and young professionals who have been forced to move away from expensive employment centers. The consortium will leverage the two schools’ current efforts and generate new areas of collaboration with community partners. The SFHSC will provide thought leadership on policies and programs that address housing affordability as a critical element of an urban community.

“We are excited to create a new forum for cutting-edge research and technical assistance that promotes the development of local policies and programs that address housing issues and exemplify holistic community development principles,” said Ned Murray, associate director of the FIU Metropolitan Center. “Housing affordability is a critical element of an economically and socially vibrant urban community, and by joining forces with the UM Office of Civic and Community Engagement, we will be able to better address our community’s needs.”

The first initiative of the consortium will be a project with the Miami-Dade County Public Housing and Community Development department. The SFHSC will provide guidance and document the community engagement process for the revitalization of the Liberty Square housing development, an ambitious project that seeks to transform the second oldest public housing project in the nation. Areas of focus include improving the quality of housing units, increasing the amount of affordable housing available, and creating a park-oriented, mixed-use, accessible, mixed-income community.

“Local communities are increasingly looking for solutions such as the creation of more location-efficient communities characterized by mixed-use, mixed-income, transit oriented development; the preservation of existing affordable housing through refinancing and rehabilitation; and the development of policies that support affordable rents,” said Robin Bachin, assistant provost for Civic and Community Engagement at UM. “We believe the time is right for a university collaboration that works with local community organizations and policymakers to make housing affordability a priority.”