Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Ceremony marks finish of low-income complex
FORT LAUDERDALE – A community rebirth will be celebrated today, with the completion of Northwest Gardens, a 150-acre, five-phase subsidized housing complex.
The apartments rose on blocks that were blighted, north of Sistrunk Boulevard off 12th Avenue in northwest Fort Lauderdale.
The subsidized housing community, a project of the Fort Lauderdale Housing Authority, is complete three years ahead of schedule. About 1,500 people with low incomes reside in the 650 apartments.
At a ceremony today, two of the phases will be rededicated in honor of William H. Lindsey, former director of the Housing Authority.
Affordable housing in South Florida is in demand. There are only four vacant apartments in the complex.
Fort Lauderdale is one of the most difficult housing markets in the country, in terms of housing affordability, a 2016 report found.
The city is working on ways to foster lowerpriced housing downtown.
The city Housing Authority maintains a waiting list for subsidized housing. Visit hacfl.com for information on applying.
Eligible incomes for the Northwest Gardens complex range from an annual income of $16,020 for one person, to $53,040 a year for a family of six. They represent incomes 30 to 60 percent of the area median — or midpoint — incomes.
The fifth phase of Northwest Gardens, built by developer Atlantic Pacific Communities, includes 100 renovated apartments and 100 new apartments. They’re geared toward low-income seniors.