{"id":241524,"date":"2026-04-22T08:35:11","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T08:35:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/241524\/"},"modified":"2026-04-22T08:35:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T08:35:11","slug":"miami-dade-church-plans-37-townhomes-to-expand-black-homeownership-local-news-updates-the-miami-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/241524\/","title":{"rendered":"Miami-Dade church plans 37 townhomes to expand Black homeownership | Local News & Updates | The Miami Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a county where affordable homeownership has become increasingly hard to achieve, a church in unincorporated Miami-Dade is preparing to turn its land into a lasting legacy, its leaders said, with 37 townhomes designed for buyers, not renters.<\/p>\n

Faith Place Village<\/a>, a planned development just south of North Miami, is expected to break ground by the end of May.\u00a0The project is a partnership between Faith Community Baptist Church, the Collective Empowerment Group of South Florida (CEG), and developer Prospera Real Estate Collective.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For the leaders behind it, the project is about more than building homes \u2014 it\u2019s about creating stability and long-term wealth for families often priced out of the region.<\/p>\n

\"Faith<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Aerial view of Faith Place Village.<\/p>\n

(Courtesy of CEG)<\/p>\n

\u201cAffordable housing is a misnomer; the real challenge is attainable housing,\u201d said CEG President Emeritus Rev. Dr. R. Joaquin Willis. \u201cWe’re really trying to help build wealth in the community and build a better product.\u201d<\/p>\n

The vision<\/p>\n

Richard P. Dunn II, pastor emeritus of Faith Community Baptist Church \u2014 now overseen by his son Brandon \u2014 shaped the vision for the project decades ago while studying at Morehouse School of Religion, where he saw churches tied to community development and housing. Later, as a Miami city commissioner and CRA chair, he saw similar partnerships in Overtown.<\/p>\n

After becoming Faith Community\u2019s pastor in 2008, he looked at the church\u2019s more-than three acres of land and saw potential, despite a familiar hurdle.<\/p>\n

\"Rendering\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Rendering of the 37 homes and amenities.<\/p>\n

(Courtesy of CEG)<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were land-rich, but cash-poor,\u201d Dunn said. \u201cWe got all this land, and we need to develop it, but we don\u2019t have the money to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

For years, developers proposed high-density rentals that didn\u2019t align with the church\u2019s mission or the neighborhood\u2019s character as a single-family home community. That shifted when Dunn connected with Willis, then CEG\u2019s president, who proposed for-sale townhomes focused on building Black wealth.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Though some congregants initially favored selling the land for a quick profit, Dunn argued that a straight sale could have led to uses incompatible with the church and neighborhood. Others worried about losing property their families had sacrificed to obtain.<\/p>\n

\"FPV<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Faith Place Village rendering.<\/p>\n

(Courtesy of CEG)<\/p>\n

The church ultimately chose a broader purpose.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat greater effort of ministry can this church do as a legacy and be a part of helping people to own their own homes, to enjoy a part of the American dream,\u201d Dunn said. \u201cWe had to choose ministry over money.\u201d<\/p>\n

Valued at approximately $14.5 million, Faith Place Village will consist of 37 units: 10 one-story, two-bedroom residences and 27 two-story, three-bedroom units. The larger homes will feature ground-floor primary bedrooms to accommodate families and older residents.<\/p>\n

\"shared<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Faith Place Village shared spaces.<\/p>\n

(Courtesy of CEG)<\/p>\n

Filling the gap<\/p>\n

CEG leaders say the project targets working families who earn too much for deeply subsidized rentals but not enough for market-rate homes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Bernard Phanord, CEG\u2019s president and CEO, said the townhomes are intended for buyers earning 120% of the area median income (AMI) or below, with a focus on helping people at 60-80% AMI access the project through subsidies and partnerships.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are intentional and unapologetic about bringing homeownership solutions to the market,\u201d Phanord said. \u201cThis is not for investors. This is not for fix-and-flip. This is the primary residence for individuals at 120% AMI or below.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Church<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Faith Community Baptist Church’s interior.\u00a0<\/p>\n

(Courtesy of Faith Community Baptist Church)<\/p>\n

With Faith Place Village\u2019s projected sale price in the $400,000s, the development offers a significant discount compared to Miami-Dade\u2019s median single-family home price,<\/a> which sits between $580,000 and $675,000 as of early 2026.<\/p>\n

Antonio \u201cTony\u201d Prado, CEG\u2019s pro bono executive director, said the project is also reaching essential workers like teachers, nurses and police officers. A partnership with the United Teachers of Dade (UTD) is already connecting educators to the project through homeownership orientation sessions.<\/p>\n

Prado said the project reflects a broader concern about access to wealth-building in Miami-Dade.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnless we find ways in Miami-Dade County and elsewhere to bring affordable homeownership options to particularly low-income Black families \u2014 nowadays it doesn\u2019t have to be Black families, any middle-class families \u2014 then they\u2019re going to be tenants and never financial independents,\u201d he said. \u201cBecause the only way to financial independence is the long-term accumulation of equity in a home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Bernard<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not for investors. This is not for fix-and-flip. This is the primary residence for individuals at 120% AMI or below.\u201d – Bernard Phanord, CEG President and CEO<\/p>\n

(Bernard Phanord)<\/p>\n

Phanord emphasized that churches can play a larger role in addressing housing needs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe look at houses of worship as anchor institutions in their communities,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd one of those things that they can do, should the asset allow them to, is provide housing \u2014 but not just housing from a rental standpoint, but from a model where people can be stakeholders.\u201d<\/p>\n

Phanord explained that, unlike rental costs, which can fluctuate based on federal indexes, ownership provides predictability as a result of the principal and interest being set and secured unless refinanced.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you buy it, and you have your finances and your will and everything in order, then you already need to tap the person that\u2019s going to be inheriting your property,\u201d Willis said. \u201cThat ensures that it\u2019s going to be in the family for at least two, maybe three generations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Making homeownership possible<\/p>\n

Creating financial viability required a \u201clayered\u201d funding strategy. This includes first-time homebuyer programs, philanthropic funding and partnerships with mission-driven lenders.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Phanord said the Florida Community Loan Fund and the Miami Foundation are already at the table, helping to reduce upfront costs and expand access for moderate-income buyers. The project also receives support through programs in Miami-Dade County Commissioner Marleine Bastien\u2019s district that specifically target first-generation buyers.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe biggest hurdle is not always the monthly payment \u2014 it\u2019s getting in the door,\u201d Phanord said.<\/p>\n

To help, CEG provides housing counseling through the Housing Foundation of America and workshops on financial literacy and lender education.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do a financial breakdown of rent versus homeownership,\u201d Phanord explained. \u201cIf you\u2019re paying $2,000 a month… you could easily be looking at over $100,000 in rent that could have been part of your equity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Designed for the community\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ellen Buckley, CEO of Prospera Real Estate Collective, ensured the neighborhood\u2019s actual needs shaped the development. She even stayed with a resident for several nights to understand the area’s rhythm.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just took notice of the fact that I needed to learn more about this place\u2026 I just need to get on the ground,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

During her stay, Buckley said she was introduced to local staples \u2014 from neighborhood diners to small grocers \u2014 and learned about residents’ everyday habits and needs. The experience influenced the site\u2019s amenities.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Instead of expensive pools or clubhouses that increase HOA fees, the project will feature yard areas, a playground and community gardens. These gardens will extend the work of the Miami Youth Garden, an initiative founded by Willis.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted to make sure that the amenities were associated with the true needs of the community and not excessive as to overburden long-term costs,\u201d Buckley said.<\/p>\n

Construction is set to take 16 to 18 months, with completion expected by late 2027.<\/p>\n

Faith Place Village is just the beginning for CEG. Phanord said the organization has eight to 10 more projects in development, representing up to 1,000 potential units, including a homeownership project in Coconut Grove.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to show that faith-based development is a real thing,\u201d Phanord said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In a county where affordable homeownership has become increasingly hard to achieve, a church in unincorporated Miami-Dade is…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":241525,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[106761,106762,106763,106756,106759,106764,106760,225,227,226,106757,106765,106758],"class_list":["post-241524","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-hialeah","tag-black-homeownership-miami-dade","tag-collective-empowerment-group-of-south-florida","tag-faith-community-baptist-church-land-development","tag-faith-place-village","tag-faith-based-housing-development","tag-first-time-homebuyer-assistance-miami","tag-for-sale-townhomes-miami","tag-hialeah","tag-hialeah-headlines","tag-hialeah-news","tag-miami-dade-affordable-homeownership","tag-miami-dade-affordable-housing-alternatives","tag-unincorporated-miami-dade-townhomes"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241524","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=241524"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241524\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/241525"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=241524"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=241524"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=241524"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}