Miami Developers Can Save Thousands — But Few Know About This New Program

After attending a workshop for the Small-Scale Development Program at the Little Haiti Cultural Complex, developer Jensen Mondesir said he is interested in purchasing properties in the neighborhood for redevelopment.

The workshop helped him learn about potential funding sources, including county and city grants, he said. Mondesir, of Trio Realty Management and Prestige Design & Construction, already manages several properties in Little Haiti. 

Property owners in Miami’s Little Haiti can now access free training on how to develop or rehabilitate their properties at no cost. Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis. Click here for more information.

The Small-Scale Development Program in Little Haiti is a partnership among nonprofits Miami Homes For All, the Little Haiti Revitalization Trust and the Haitian American Community Development Corporation.

Training includes technical assistance for property owners who are not developers but want to pursue development. It helps them navigate the process, including identifying and hiring qualified professionals. Support may also include guidance in preparing and issuing a request for proposal, or RFP.

Property owners are required to agree to build affordable housing from two to 49 units and are 80% of the Area Median Income or below. The county said the AMI is $79,400.

“There’s a desktop review process that is done. They assess what could be possible zoning-wise, what resources could be assessed and what financial considerations that need to be considered,” said Lisa Martinez, program director of Small-Scale Development Program.

“We would help them assess choosing the right person to be able to work with, making sure that they consider proposals and bids for different services,” Martinez said.

If an owner wants to develop their property themselves, the program provides training to help them find partners, form joint ventures, and navigate the process with guidance. It also supports owners with construction experience who need help identifying funding sources and applying for subsidies.

Members will also receive training on the permitting process and the construction phase. The program aims to help residents build and sustain generational wealth, enabling them to retain ownership of their properties and keep housing affordable within their communities, Martinez said.

Why Little Haiti 

Martinez said there is clear evidence that some Little Haiti residents are being forced to sell their properties because they cannot afford to keep them, and the goal is to prevent that from happening to people who want to remain in the community.

Little Haiti in Miami has become increasingly attractive to developers because of its higher elevation, according to media reports. As redevelopment plans move forward and rents rise, long-time residents leave the neighborhood, also according to media reports.

Navigating the development process without clear understanding can lead to costly missteps and delays, Martinez said, adding that without proper guidance, individuals may take the wrong path, forcing them to restart and lose both time and money.

“So, the savings in the permitting process, the savings in trying to figure out how to get approvals, this program will help support people that have never gone through the process and guide them through that,” Martinez said. 

Joann Milord, president and CEO of Little Haiti Revitalization Trust, said one of the Trust’s missions or goals is to create affordable housing units.

“We believe it was a natural fit to be able to give a cohort of just Little Haiti property owners as we see that there are so many developments happening around,” Milord said.

Sometimes people think they need to sell their properties to create more income or the process to develop their property is time-consuming – so they decide to sell their property, Milord said. The program aims to change that narrative. 

 “We wanted to empower property owners here in Little Haiti to be part of that development,” Milord said.