Sweetwater Affordable Housing For Seniors Gets $2 Million Boost From Miami-Dade County

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - More affordable housing is coming to the Sweetwater community.

On Wednesday, Miami-Dade Commission Chairman Jose "Pepe" Diaz presented a two million dollar check to help open the doors of the Lil Abner Apartments.

"With costs going up between 20 and 40% for materials and workmanship, it's important for the county to understand that we need more projects like this," he said.

The apartments are for seniors and will have 244 units located on NW 112th Avenue.

"We are facing the two major issues nationwide, senior housing and affordable housing," said Raul Rodriguez, President of the Lil Abner Apartments.

Project leaders said 40 percent of the building will consist of people who earn no more than 60 percent of the area's median income.

Diaz told CBS4 he gets calls daily from people struggling to make ends meet.

"The rent has gone beyond what they can afford. They have to get a second job and they can't keep up," he said.

Diaz said he and other local leaders will continue to find ways to help and they have more projects in the works that he thinks will help ease the rent problem.

Construction on the building is expected to wrap up in January.