Small Building Preservation: Preventing Displacement in Miami

The Allapattah neighborhood, like many BIPOC-majority areas around the country, is facing intertwined threats: while the effects of climate change make inland, higher-altitude land more attractive, rising rents and additional development are displacing families. And while these challenges have been exacerbated in recent years, leaders and planners on the ground in Miami have been fighting to preserve the spirit, as well as the affordability, of Allapattah since before the pandemic.

As a participating team in the Connecting Capital and Community Initiative led by the Center for Community Investment and sponsored by JPMorgan Chase & Co., leaders from Miami Homes for All, The Allapattah Collaborative Community Development Corporation, and a multisector team are creating tailor-made approaches to these problems. By building a pipeline of small building preservation projects, they are creating wealth for citizens and creating a pathway to success for small developers.

Their batch of deals is an example for the nation as the housing and climate crises escalate. The panel’s discussion of how it was created, is being funded, and will go next will provide a pathway for planners in other communities to build their own unique solutions to these universal challenges.

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