MIAMI-Miami Jewish Health Systems broke ground on its latestexpansion of Douglas Gardens North, an affordable senior livingcommunity in nearby Pembroke Pines. When it opens its doors in2012, the new building will offer 75 apartment units to low-incomeseniors who need access to healthcare and social services.

MJHS tapped a $10.5 million US Department of Housing and UrbanDevelopment grant for the project. It was one of the final grantsto be issued in Florida through the department’s Section 202Supportive Housing for the Elderly program. Section 202 is set tobe phased out this year.

“With this building, we are going to be able to build a largerkitchen so hot meals can be served on site in any kind ofcatastrophic situation,” MJHS COO Morris Funk tells GlobeSt.com.“We’ll also have an emergency generator, so we can accommodate asignificant number of people 55 and older in the wake of adisaster.”