Thursday, November 1, 2007

Miami --- Today, The Carrie Meek Foundation announced new opportunities in the City of Miami for qualified residents to relocate into Newly Constructed Affordable Rental Housing, available over the next twelve to eighteen months.

The SOUL LIVES in THE CITY campaign, being kicked off on Monday, November 5th by District 5 Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones is an effort to provide quality affordable housing to current residents of District 5 and to encourage former residents to come back to the community. The Carrie Meek Foundation in partnership with The Liberty City Trust, will pre-qualify potential residents for these new facilities, and provide the housing and credit counseling necessary to prepare residents to take advantage of these opportunities. Foundation spokespersons stress that filling out the pre-application is a vital first step toward residents “claiming a spot in line”.

These apartments are specifically for low and very low income families and senior citizens. Each apartment has occupancy limits as well as minimum and maximum income requirements, depending on the size of the apartment.

All residents’ income must be at or below 60% AMI (Area Median Income), for example a family of four must earn $33,540 or less. A portion of the units have been set aside for residents having an income at 33% AMI or below. At 33% AMI, a family of four must earn $18,447 or less.

Carrie Meek, a long time advocate of low-income families, has committed her self and the Foundation that bears her name to the initiation of programs and policy benefiting the disadvantaged.

"My dedication to helping low-income families in my community is just as strong today as when I retired from Congress. My goal is to positively impact the lives of people in my community by providing them health care, educational, and housing opportunity," said Meek.

Earlier this year, The Carrie Meek Foundation was also approved by the Florida Department of Education to award scholarships of up to $3,750 each to K-12 grade students that meet the income criteria for the free and reduced lunch program. Nearly 1,000 students so far have been recipients of the Carrie Meek Education Scholarships this fall in Miami. Scholarships are still available.

For additional information on the SOUL LIVES in THE CITY Campaign or The Carrie Meek Education Scholarship, you may contact The Carrie Meek Foundation at (305) 953-0525 or visit www.carriemeekfoundation.org
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The Carrie Meek Foundation, Inc.
Miami, FL
305-953-0525 Phone
info@CarrieMeekFoundation.org