Spinal Cord Living-Assistance Development (SCLAD), Inc. Celebrates 25 Year Anniversary With the Inauguration of SCLAD Plaza, an Affordable, Barrier-Free Rental Apartment Project

HIALEAH, Fla., Feb. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- SCLAD ( http://www.sclad.org/ ), a non-profit organization dedicated to providing support services to residents of Miami-Dade County who have physical and developmental disabilities, will be celebrating its 25 year anniversary with the inauguration of its third affordable, barrier-free housing project in Hialeah, Florida – SCLAD Plaza.

SCLAD's anniversary and inauguration celebration will take place on Friday, February 25 at 6:30 PM at SCLAD Plaza. Honorable Julio Robaina, Mayor of the City of Hialeah, will preside over the Inauguration ceremony, accompanied by the members of the Hialeah City Council.  Also attending are Miami-Dade County Commissioners Rebeca Sosa and Natacha Seijas, who represent the 2 Hialeah Districts. Members of the media are invited to attend the event by contacting SCLAD offices for additional information at 305-887-8838.

The event will showcase the state-of-the-art building which is fully equipped to meet the special needs of persons with disabilities. A short video, compliments of EXPLICA Media ( http://www.explicamedia.com ), will be unveiled which highlights the organization, its history, its projects, its people and its founders.

SCLAD has garnered the continued support of the community for its work coordinating services, promoting self sufficiency, and developing affordable, accessible housing. Its holistic approach has effectively enhanced the ability of its clients and tenants to live independently as integrated members of the community.

SCLAD Plaza has 18 accessible units on three floors and the SCLAD Resource Center at street level.  The project was financed primarily with HOME Program funds that originated at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, channeled through the City of Hialeah, as part of the Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) Set Asides. Additional HOME funds were awarded to SCLAD by the Florida Housing Finance Corporation. Miami-Dade County contributed Surtax funds and Building Better Communities GOB Funds. Neighborhood Lending Partners of South Florida provided a Construction Loan and SCLAD contributed its own funds to complete the financing package for this project.  

Pre-applications for tenancy in any of SCLAD Plaza's eighteen units were stopped at number 600 – there is a high demand for affordable housing for persons with disabilities. Each unit of this barrier-free project is precious because of its architectural accessibility, beauty and proximity to grocery stores, pharmacies, banks and other amenities of day to day life.

SCLAD Plaza is the third such project developed by SCLAD, Inc. Its other rental project, Park Place Apartments, has a waiting list of almost 700 prospective tenants.

The SCLAD Resource Center for persons with disabilities will be located on the first floor of SCLAD Plaza, where social support services, vocational and housing services are provided free of charge to residents of Miami-Dade County who have physical and developmental disabilities.

Spinal Cord Living-Assistance Development (SCLAD), Inc. is a non-profit community-based organization that has supported the advancement and inclusion of people with disabilities since 1985. SCLAD's mission is to facilitate independent living, economic self-sufficiency and full community integration for persons with disabilities by providing and coordinating support services; and, by generating employment and vocational opportunities and affordable barrier-free housing. The founders of SCLAD, Pedro and Angelina Rodriguez, know firsthand what it is to go through life with a physical disability. Married for 22 years, Pedro is a quadriplegic and uses a wheelchair as a result of an injury suffered in an automobile accident in 1979. Angelina suffers from Lupus, an auto immune disorder. She has been a wheelchair user for the past 10 years. This married couple runs SCLAD truly from the heart, with their strong desire to give those with disabilities as many opportunities to live independently as possible. They have dedicated their lives to serving their community and helping others.

For more information on the organization, for support services, or for more information on the upcoming event, please contact Angelina Rodriguez at 305-887-8838 or [email protected]

SOURCE Spinal Cord Living-Assistance Development, Inc.