For dozens of Miami-Dade families, the wait for a community built specifically for their adult loved ones with disabilities is finally over. The Village of Casa Familia, a purpose-built and affordable campus for adults with intellectual, developmental and related disabilities, celebrated its grand opening in Kendall this week. The first phase brings two three-story residential buildings and an 11,000-square-foot community center to a county-owned site, with rents expected to be capped at roughly 30 percent of tenant income. Founders, county officials and local advocates turned out for the ribbon-cutting and described the campus as a blueprint they hope to replicate across South Florida.
According to Miami's Community Newspapers, the Village includes 50 one- and two-bedroom apartments that will house about 62 adults, along with a multipurpose community center that is designed to feel more like a clubhouse than a clinic. The center features an art studio, internet café, fitness center, movie theater, sensory "chill" room and a resort-style pool and spa. It also serves as the on-campus headquarters for Casa Familia leadership and partner organizations that will coordinate services and activities.
Design And Resident-Centered Features
Developers say nearly every element of the complex was planned around residents' sensory needs and day-to-day independence. According to NBC 6 South Florida, residents have already begun moving into the first completed units, and a combination of Miami-Dade subsidies and project-based vouchers is expected to keep household rents at about 30 percent of income. Supportive services are available on site so that residents are not just living there, but also receiving help to manage daily life.
How It Was Paid For And The County Role
The project rests on a significant public-private financing stack that started with the land itself. Miami-Dade County provided the site and helped assemble funding that combines Low-Income Housing Tax Credit equity, grants and county bond support, according to Miami-Dade County records. Those files detail the lease terms for the nearly nine-acre property and outline the public resources that brought the first phase to construction.
Developers, Lenders And What Comes Next
Atlantic Pacific Companies served as development partner and general contractor, with Corwil Architects credited for the design and RAM Partners handling property management, according to Casa Familia. Truist acted as construction lender and also provided investment equity through the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program. Local developer Pinnacle Housing is lined up for upcoming phases, known as The Residences and The Gardens, which are expected to add communal assisted-living homes and roughly 50 additional affordable units, per Pinnacle Housing.
Community Reaction And The Fundraising Push Ahead
Co-founder Marie-Ilene Whitehurst described the opening as “deeply personal” and said the community fulfills a family promise to create a safe, vibrant place for loved ones to live, according to Miami's Community Newspapers. Casa Familia says it is working to raise roughly $6 million to complete The Residences phase and to support long-term services as the Kendall campus moves toward full buildout.
