The organization has already purchased four parcels of land for the project. Mayor Dean Trantalis said the plan calls for a larger residential facility than the beach site, along with affordable housing built through Florida's Live Local Act. He said the development is expected to include approximately 70 housing units, a substantial share of which must be affordable under the law.

"Part of their vision is to expand their program to residential facility greater than what they had on the beach," Trantalis said. "Through the Live Local process, they were able to secure approximately 70 units that are going to be built on part of this site and of course there is a significant portion that has to be affordable housing."

The proposal surfaced for some neighbors only during a community Zoom meeting on Monday night, and several said they felt caught off guard. Sonia Cotto, who has lived in South Middle River for 12 years, said she respects the organization's work but believes a residential block is the wrong setting for it.

"Covenant House is amazing. It's an amazing program, but not in a residential neighborhood," Cotto said. She said she worries about effects on property values and about neighborhood safety, particularly if people in crisis end up on nearby streets. "When they are desperate, they need money, they need food, and that is going to be at the price of our safety," she said.

Trantalis pushed back on the safety concerns, saying the site is designed for young people enrolled in Covenant House programs rather than as a walk-in service center open to the general public. "This is not going to be a place where people are lingering in the neighborhood," he said. "It is intended for the people that they service, it is not intended for the general public."

Covenant House Florida did not attend Monday's Zoom meeting. After being contacted for comment, the organization issued a statement saying it is "excited to expand our impact through the development of affordable housing, helping address a critical community need while creating more opportunities for individuals and families to thrive."

The project marks a significant shift for an institution long anchored at the beach, and it arrives as Broward County continues to grapple with a shortage of affordable homes and shelter capacity for young adults. Under the Live Local Act, qualifying affordable housing proposals can move forward under streamlined approval rules, a framework that has sometimes left municipal officials and residents with limited leverage over siting decisions.

For South Middle River, the debate now turns on how the development will be designed, how it will be managed, and what assurances neighbors will receive as the proposal moves ahead. City leaders say discussions with the community will continue.