City officials gathered Wednesday to celebrate the renovation of a facility that helps youth transition out of foster care.
The six-unit building is called Miami's River of Life Building, the Georgia Jones Ayers Transitional Living Facility. It's located in Liberty City and will serve as supportive housing for youth transitioning out of foster care, according to the City of Miami. The six females who will move into the building can use the temporary housing for a period between three and nine months, the city said.
"You can talk about every big project in the city but there's nothing that compares to helping young people get their new life," Mayor Tomas Regalado said at the event.
Georgia Ayers, whom the building was named after, was also present at the mayor's side for the ribbon cutting. The 83-year-old said that she was nicknamed "spitfire" when she was younger. She shared her childhood stories of growing up with the crowd.
The facility's remodeling was funded by the City of Miami's Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
Renovations cost $224,950 and included a roof replacement, new bathrooms and floors and a plumbing system, according to the city.
The building will be managed by Miami's River of Life, a non-profit organization that helps youth in child protection systems. It is located on 1371 NW 61 Street.
