South Florida Community Land Trust Acquires Pembroke Pines Property to Preserve Affordable Housing

The South Florida Community Land Trust (SFCLT) has acquired a 12-unit residential property located at 7851 Johnson Street, preserving the building as permanently affordable housing for local residents.

The acquisition was made possible through a strong local partnership. The City of Pembroke Pines invested $1.04 million and Broward County provided an additional $1.1 million to match. Optimum Bank provided financing for an additional $900,000, allowing the purchase to move forward.

Built in 1973, the two-story apartment building has served working families and seniors in the community for more than five decades. When the longtime owner recently decided to retire and sell the property, SFCLT stepped in to help ensure the building would continue providing stable housing in a region where housing costs have risen sharply in recent years.

The acquisition reflects a key part of SFCLT’s long-term strategy: identifying and preserving smaller, modest apartment buildings that already play an important role in the region’s housing supply. Across South Florida, many properties like these are sold and repositioned at higher rents over time. By acquiring them at the right moment, SFCLT helps maintain housing options that working families and seniors rely on every day.

“As we often say, everything important starts at home,” said Mandy Bartle, President and CEO of the South Florida Community Land Trust. “Buildings like this are the backbone of many neighborhoods. Preserving them helps ensure residents can continue to live in the communities they call home.”

As part of the transition, rents at the building will be adjusted to between $1,000 and $1,380 for residents who qualify, helping ensure the property remains affordable while allowing current residents to remain in their homes. Most units will serve very low-income households, with additional units reserved for low- and moderate-income families.

SFCLT will also invest in improvements to enhance the safety and livability of the property.

“In a housing market like South Florida, no single sector can address these challenges alone,” said Eric Haynes, Chair of the SFCLT Board of Directors. “Partnerships between local government, financial institutions, and nonprofit organizations are essential to keeping housing within reach and communities stable.”

SFCLT operates using the Community Land Trust model, a nonprofit approach that keeps land under community stewardship so that housing on it can remain affordable over time. By separating ownership of the land from the housing itself, the model helps ensure that public and private investments in housing continue to benefit the community for years to come.