MIAMI, FL – Mayor Manny Diaz, Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones, District 5, Barbara Gomez, Director of the Department of Community Development, and new homeowners will commemorate the completion of two, new affordable single-family homes in Model City on Wednesday, May 23, 2007, 11:30 a.m. The homes, located at 1611 and 1615 NW 58th St., are the latest of several homes being built by Palmetto Homes of Miami, Inc., on parcels provided by the City in the Model City area. The homes are a testament to the City’s efforts to work with private developers to aide in the revitalization of the Model City neighborhood. 

Both of the households qualified by the City earn less than 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) and each received $78,252 in financial assistance, in the form of a second mortgage, to aid them with the purchase of their new home. Buyers also received assistance from Miami-Dade County. 

Palmetto Homes of Miami, Inc., is a minority-owned, affordable home-building company operated by Ario Lundy.  Mr. Lundy’s long-standing partnership with the City has allowed Palmetto Homes to increase its organizational capacity, while improving the lives of residents of Model City.  With the City’s assistance, Palmetto Homes has completed 14 homes since 2002 and has an additional six (6) currently under development within Model City.