The MIAMI Association of Realtors (MIAMI) will host a groundbreaking for its South Miami cargo container home project at 10 a.m. Wednesday, January 9 in South Miami. Two standard 40-foot cargo containers will be modified into 30 feet to create a 480-square-foot, one-bedroom/one-bathroom home on a 3,200-square-foot South Miami lot. The project aims to show how cargo containers can be used for construction and provide an affordability model for replication.
Details:
- What: South Miami Container Home Groundbreaking
- When: 10 a.m. Wednesday, January 9
- Where: 6180 SW 63 Terrace, South Miami
“Miami-Dade County residents need more housing options in areas that are ideally located closer to work and mass transit,” 2019 MIAMI Chairman of the Board José María Serrano said. “Container homes are a viable, trendy solution with many inherent benefits. MIAMI is building this prototype to demonstrate to our community that container homes can be cost effective, functional and aesthetically pleasing and to identify any barriers to construction.”
Container homes are built to meet the standards of the South Florida building code. MIAMI has spent nearly two years meeting with city commissioners and filing the proper permits for this project.
Creating an Affordability Housing Model on Excess County Land
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.
MIAMI Working with SMCRA to Find Buyer
MIAMI is working with South Miami’s Community Redevelopment Authority (SMCRA) to identify a local income qualified buyer from the area. SMCRA is working to identify other parcels of non-conforming land that could be used for more container home projects if this one proves to be successful.
Media - RSVP, Inquiries and Interviews
Lynda Fernandez, MIAMI Chief of Communications & International
lynda@miamire.com
(305) 468-7040
About the MIAMI Association of Realtors
The MIAMI Association of Realtors (MIAMI) was chartered by the National Association of Realtors in 1920 and is celebrating 99 years of service to Realtors, the buying and selling public, and the communities in South Florida. Comprised of six organizations, the Residential Association, the Realtors Commercial Alliance, the Broward Council, the Jupiter Tequesta Hobe Sound (JTHS-MIAMI) Council, the Young Professionals Network (YPN) Council and the award-winning International Council, it represents 47,000 real estate professionals in all aspects of real estate sales, marketing, and brokerage. It is the largest local Realtor association in the U.S., and has official partnerships with 204 international organizations worldwide. MIAMI’s official website is www.MiamiRealtors.com
