‘Couldn’t come at a better time’: Habitat For Humanity Miami gets $6.75 million gift

A $6.75 million donation to Habitat for Humanity Miami — its largest financial gift — will allow the nonprofit to expand on the affordable housing work it is doing.

Home prices in Miami-Dade County continue to rise and have made it difficult for many families to buy or rent a place to live.

Author and billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, donated $436 million to Habitat for Humanity International and 84 national affiliates, including Habitat for Humanity Miami.

Habitat for Humanity Miami CEO Mario Artecona is hopeful the multimillion-dollar windfall can help alleviate what he called a housing affordability crisis.

“It’s a catastrophic crisis in Miami, which if not addressed, is going to see further damage,” Artecona said. “If your workers can’t afford to live in your community, who can afford to do the work? The housing crisis spans our economy and transportation.”

He said the donation “couldn’t come at a better time.” A large portion of the money will be used for a 150-unit townhome community in Homestead’s Naranja section. The development is in the process of receiving site plan approval. The donation also will be used to update Habitat for Humanity Miami’s vehicles and technology.

Since Habitat for Humanity Miami’s launch in 1989, it has assisted 1,200 families in finding homes. Over the past decade, its focus has been building homes in South Miami-Dade County, Liberty City and Overtown.

Artecona said continuing to add homes in South Dade makes sense for his organization because with land being so expensive in Miami, the nonprofit has to work where land is less expensive.

Overall, he is optimistic the large donation will raise awareness of what affordable housing means in Miami.

“The term ‘affordable housing’ gets thrown around liberally,” Artecona said. “I hope this is a call to arms for others to donate more.”

This story was originally published March 23, 2022 at 1:31 PM.

Michael Butler

Miami Herald

Michael Butler writes about minority business and trends that affect marginalized professionals in South Florida. As a business reporter for the Miami Herald, he tells inclusive stories that reflect South Florida’s diversity. Just like Miami’s diverse population, Butler, a Temple University graduate, has both local roots and a Panamanian heritage.