Hollywood affordable housing project opens lottery as Broward tries to make living more cost-effective
HOLLYWOOD — With just over a month to go before opening, Nitza Bello would love to call Pinnacle 441 her new home.
"I've had my eye on this building for two years. I've watched it go from the ground up," Bello said.
After a divorce, Bello and her son have been living with her mom down the street. She's hoping she'll qualify for the affordable housing project in Hollywood. She hasn't had much luck finding a place to live in her price range.
"For someone who's lived in this area more than 20 years and then to feel like I can't afford to live here anymore, where am I going to go," Bello asked, choking up.
She's one of 18,000 inquiries that have come in for 100 available units.
"Due to tremendous demand, applications for residency in Pinnacle 441 will be determined through a lottery system," the developer said.
Bello plans to sign up for the lottery and hope for the best.
"We just want a nice place to live that's it," she said with a tear streaming down her face. "It doesn't have to be new, it doesn't have to be fancy — just a safe neighborhood."
Affordable housing is such a problem in South Florida that Broward County created a 10-year master plan. It calls for 1,000 new affordable units or homes to be built annually for the next 30 years. It also asks all 31 Broward cities to get involved.
"The City of Hollywood is one of the few municipalities in South Florida that is stepping up, working with developers, such as Pinnacle to make a dent in the affordable housing crisis," said Hollywood spokesperson Joann Hussey.
In Hollywood, there are several projects to bring affordable housing to those who need it.
"Between planned, under construction and coming on line, there's about a thousand affordable, attainable, workforce housing units that are going to be coming on line," Hussey said.
Pinnacle 441 opens its lottery on March 15 at 9 a.m. It closes on March 25 at midnight.
Phase one building completion is expected in late April or early May. Phase two is still under construction. When it's complete, 113 affordable units will be available.
Click here for more information on the 10-year affordable housing master plan. And here, you can find more information about affordable housing in Miami, Miami-Dade, and Broward.