Three newly constructed homes will go to income-qualified Miami-Dade County residents through a public lottery, with online applications opening Sept. 1 and closing Sept. 30. For households priced out of neighborhoods like Coconut Grove and Key Biscayne, the program represents one of the county's few direct paths to affordable homeownership.
How the Welcome H.O.M.E. program works
The county's new Welcome H.O.M.E. program, operated by the Miami-Dade Economic Advocacy Trust (MDEAT) in partnership with JL Brown Development Corp., will accept up to 200 qualified applications before the window shuts, according to the program's county website. Applications are online only. MDEAT described the program as a new initiative connecting working families with affordable homeownership through a lottery, expanded financing and community partnerships.
The opportunity lands in a county where luxury sales are accelerating. In the first half of 2026, 24 condos and single-family homes closed for more than $30 million in Miami-Dade, nearly double the same stretch last year, according to Insurance Journal. In Coconut Grove, average single-family home values topped $1.2 million as of early 2026, per the New York Post. A non-waterfront spec mansion there sold for $22.5 million in early August, according to the South Florida Business Journal.
Who qualifies for the housing lottery
Applicants must earn below 140% of the area median income and plan to live in the home as a primary residence. Only one application per household is allowed.
Based on county income-limit documents effective May 2025, the ceiling is roughly $121,520 for a single person, $138,740 for two people, $156,100 for three and $173,460 for a four-person household. The county may have updated those figures; applicants should confirm current limits at miamidade.gov/mdeat-welcome-home before applying.
How the three homes will be awarded
Applicants who meet income requirements enter a public drawing. Ten households are ranked; the top six proceed to financial qualification. The three highest-ranked buyers who complete that step get the homes. If one cannot close, the county moves to the next name on the list.
Selected buyers will also receive down payment assistance, financing options and homebuyer support through the program.
Two info sessions offer details before the deadline
MDEAT is hosting two sessions to walk potential applicants through the process:
- In person: 6-8 p.m. Aug. 20, at JL and Enid W. Demps Park, 11350 S.W. 216th St.
- Online: 6-8 p.m. Aug. 26
Attendance is encouraged but not required to apply.
What details the county hasn't released yet
The county has not disclosed the addresses or neighborhoods of the three homes. The lottery drawing date has not been announced.
Danny Hertzberg, a Coldwell Banker Realty agent specializing in Coconut Grove, told the Wall Street Journal in February: "Most people hadn't heard of it unless they were local. Now the secret is out in a big way."
Applications open Sept. 1 at miamidade.gov/mdeat-welcome-home. The two information sessions on Aug. 20 and Aug. 26 offer the first chance to ask questions before the window opens.
