Priced out of a Miami apartment? Here are other affordable housing options in Florida

There has been no shortage of applicants trying to get their names on waiting lists as more workforce and affordable housing units become available.

In Hollywood, for instance, 20,000 people applied for a lottery to fill a 113-unit affordable housing development. In Miami, a new affordable housing tower is being built for “essential workers” — teachers, police officer prosecutors.

Now, at least four affordable housing complexes are in the works on the other side of Florida, in the Bradenton area, and they have a combined wait list of nearly 500 applicants.

The Met at 1405 14th St. W. offers 199 units of workforce housing. Since the apartments opened to tenants at the end of March, 104 of the units have been leased, said Marshall Gobuty, president of Pearl Homes.

“It’s great news and very surprising,” said Gobuty of his first venture into multifamily housing. Previously, Gobuty’s focus was on single-family housing.

“There are a little over 200 on the wait list,” Gobuty said.

In Manatee County, workforce housing is for people making $51,000 to $77,000 a year or a four-person household with a total income of $73,000 to $110,000. Typically, the program targets households that earn too much to qualify for traditional affordable housing subsidies.

Two-bedroom apartments in The Met rent for $1,634 a month. One-bedroom apartments rent for $1,398 and studios rent for $1,395.

The Met, a $31 million project, broke ground in November 2021 on a three-acre site that until 2005 was home to the Manatee Inn. City officials called the project a positive move toward revitalizing a blighted area.

There is usually a clamor when new affordable or workforce housing becomes available.

In 2022, when the 92 units at the Sandpiper Place apartment community were quickly claimed by renters, there was a waiting list with more than 800 names on it.

Robin’s Nest

Mark Vengroff, managing partner of One Stop Housing, has seen strong interest in The Nest, where 182 apartments are planned on a vacant five-acre lot next to Robins Apartments, just south of U.S. 301 on First Street East.

Even though construction of The Nest is not forecast to be completed for another 18 months, One Stop Housing has received more than 100 applications with half of those coming on the first day of sign-up for the waiting list.

“We were blown away by the response,” Vengroff said.

To sign up for the waiting list for The Nest, visit https://OneStopHousing.com/the-nest-apartments-bradenton.

Riverview6

Housing Trust Group is developing Riverview6, a five-story, 80-unit affordable housing complex on the southeast corner of Sixth Avenue West and Ninth Street West. Apartments are expected to become available this summer.

Rents will range from $486 to $1,571 a month. As a designated affordable housing complex, eligible tenants will earn between $16,000 and $60,000 in total annual income, which is based on federal guidelines.

“The current list of those interested in calling Riverview6 their home is just over 150 at the moment, and we anticipate the list to grow as demand for affordable housing is very much there. Leasing it set to begin this Summer,” a Housing Trust Group staff member said in an email.

The five-story development will offer a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom units ranging from 601 square feet to 1,085 square feet. Amenities will include a community clubhouse with a catering kitchenette and dining areas, lounging and gaming areas, and a fitness center, according to the Riverview6 web page.

Bradenton Lofts

The Bradenton Lofts complex, 1003 14th St. W., Bradenton, is also scheduled to open in the coming months. The four-story building includes 40 apartment units that will rent for between $1,100 and $1,300, according to Apartments.com.

“The demand to occupy the apartment units has been very strong,” H4ME, the private equity firm building the complex, said in an update on its website. “It’s an important aim of this project to help with the shortage of housing in the downtown Bradenton area.”

For more information on Bradenton Lofts, visit www.BradentonLofts.com.