November 27, 2019
Riviera Beach Housing Authority
Heron Estates Senior is at Full Occupancy!
The 101-unit, three-story tower is the first new affordable housing development constructed in Riviera Beach in nearly 40 years. Located on the 15-acre site of the former Ivey Green Village public housing complex, the development is just Phase 1. Read more, below, about Phase 2 and watch the video, above, about one of our new residents, Louise Pritchard, as she is introduced to her new unit by Property Manager Anthony Poland. She was excited. To say the least.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Let us all pray for lots of thanks and giving in our lives.
More Housing--and Success
As work continues to build affordable housing at Heron Estates for seniors, the RBHA Board is also working to buy affordable housing for families. One of those projects, the August purchase of a four-unit building on Blue Heron Boulevard, became a partnership with Orlando-based Florida Community Loan Fund, which wrote about the project on the front page of its website. Read the story here . The Authority is also working to develop another 200-plus affordable and workforce housing units over the next two years plus create at least 50 home ownership opportunities--all for residents of Riviera Beach. And, don't forget the coming Phase 2 of Heron Estates!
Seeking Local Subcontractors, Just Like the RBCRA
When the Riviera Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (RBCRA) co-hosted its Construction Readiness Workshop earlier this month, the RBHA was there. That's because, like the RBCRA, we're looking for local subcontractors to get some of the work on our upcoming projects, especially Phase 2 of Heron Estates. Ray Wells, our affordable housing consultant, was there, pitching our projects and meeting local carpenters, electricians, HVAC experts and others. Phase 2 construction is scheduled to launch in early 2020.
Can Residents Legally Use Pot at Home?
Florida has the fastest-growing medical marijuana program in the country, with more than 300,000 people who have signed up since the state law was expanded in 2017. Some of our Heron Estates Senior residents are recipients of the very diverse drug. But while medical pot is legal in the state, it remains illegal at the federal level. That makes for an interesting situation in partially federally-funded housing facilities. Like ours. Still, Florida residents can use medical pot and, thanks to Gov. DeSantis earlier this year, some can even "smoke a bud." We'll see how that changes with current efforts at the state level to legalize recreational use. Read a related story, here , about what's happening in another state and, here , about what's happening nationwide with this topic. Interesting.
Remember Those Local Subcontractors We're Seeking?
Here's Why.
Heron Estates Family and its 79 townhouse-style units of family housing will also be located on the 15-acre former Ivey Green campus. Our co-development partner on Phase 1, Miami-based Housing Trust Group, will also oversee this $12 million project. Development is set to launch in early 2020.
"It's very important to us that our local contractors, our local small businesses get some of this work," said RBHA Board Chairman Delvin M. Thomas. "Call us. And this project isn't the end."
About the RBHA
The Authority was founded in 1968 and is a special district of the City of Riviera Beach. It is also an agency of the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), as are the half-dozen other housing authorities in Palm Beach County. The five-member Board of Commissioners meets on the second Tuesday of each month at Authority offices. The meetings are open to the public and nearly all information is available to the public by request. Click here for more Board information, including meeting agendas and minutes.

The Board of Commissioners
Chairman Delvin M. Thomas
Vice Chairman Jeffery Jackson
Commissioner Jessica Thurmond
Commissioner Horace Towns
Commissioner Glen L. Spiritis
Administration

John W. Hurt
Executive Director

Matthew C. Russell
Board Attorney

Contact Us:
2001 Broadway, suite 101
Riviera Beach, FL 33404
561-845-7450 office
800-431-8738 fax
Did you live in Ivey Green?
If so, we want to hear from you! We're working on ideas for remembering the iconic public housing complex, which was demolished in 2008 following hurricane storm damage. Which made room for Heron Estates. Let us know--especially if you lived in the seniors tower, like those in the image above, and have pictures and memories to share! Send an email here and tell us what you remember.