Habitat Miami needs help to keep Jimmy Carter’s wish of available affordable housing | Opinion

As funeral services for former President Jimmy Carter began on Tuesday in the U.S. Capitol — and during the last few days since his death — we have all been reminded of the incredible impact Carter had, not only on our nation but the entire world and even Miami.

Carter’s work with Habitat for Humanity is getting deserved attention. The president and his wife, Rosalynn, helped turn Habitat for Humanity into a global force in housing justice, and the Carters’ efforts have helped literally millions improve their housing conditions.

Carter’s influence

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Miami also benefited immensely from President Carter’s influence.

Although Habitat Miami was an established organization in 1992, it was not until the Carter led the “Carter Project Liberty City” build that the community took notice of Habitat. That project showed that Habitat had a viable and repeatable model to help make the dream of home ownership a reality for many deserving families.

During his 1991 visit, Carter worked alongside hundreds of volunteers in the construction of dozens of homes and drew attention to the community’s housing challenges. While here, the Carters refused special treatment, insisting on the same hotel accommodations as the volunteers.

Since that visit, and following the belief that Habitat is a hand-up and not a handout, Habitat Miami has partnered with more than 1,300 families throughout Miami-Dade.

Our families commit to working hundreds of hours of sweat equity for an opportunity to purchase a home at a zero percent interest mortgage.

Habitat works with hardworking families who do not make enough for a traditional bank mortgage and allows them the dignity of owning their own home. There are scores of success stories in every corner of Miami-Dade. The seeds planted by the Carters helped so many take root with a home of their own.

Success through partnership

Many of Habitat’s successes are largely due to an invaluable and successful partnership with Miami-Dade County’s infill program, which makes unused or abandoned lots available to developers to create homes for sale.

To date, Habitat and Miami-Dade’s partnership has yielded close to 700 single-family homes, by far, the most successful infill developer since the program’s inception. Soon, a new 150 unit townhome community in South Miami-Dade will break ground.

However, despite the great success, the process whereby Habitat gets the land has become an overly burdensome legislative one, requiring the sponsorship of individual Miami-Dade commissioners to make land available.

Unfortunately, not all commissioners are responsive in a timely manner, thereby stalling what could be the American dream for families.

In the spirit of President Carter and his desire for housing for all, Habitat encourages Miami-Dade to develop a more efficient administrative or merit-based process for land distribution, which would focus on what is truly the most affordable to the purchaser.

Habitat needs help

Habitat provides a turn-key solution to low-income home ownership. It sells homes below market price (or program imposed caps), funds at zero percent interest, and only serves families at 80% or below the area median income.

Habitat offers the lowest of the hanging fruit as it relates to low-income home ownership.

We need to work together on the best way to harvest it more efficiently. America’s most famous farmer would approve.

Mario J Artecona is the CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Miami.

This story was originally published January 8, 2025 at 11:19 AM.