Stella Maris House, the affordable housing complex for seniors located in the North Shore area of Miami Beach, will reopen its waiting list next Wednesday, November 4, 2026, at 9:00 a.m., according to the official notice published by Catholic Housing Management (CHM), the organization that manages the property.
The process includes a total of 600 pre-registrations distributed across six categories, not 600 housing units available immediately. The spots are divided as follows: 200 for standard studios, 200 for standard one-bedroom apartments, 50 for accessible studios for people with mobility disabilities, 50 for one-bedroom apartments accessible for mobility, 50 for studios adapted for hearing or visual disabilities, and 50 for one-bedroom apartments with that same adaptation.
To be eligible, the applicant must be 62 years or older. The specific notice of opening states that individuals under 62 with mobility disabilities may also apply depending on availability.
It is worth noting a discrepancy: the general information on the CHM site also mentions hearing or visual impairments as criteria for those under 62, but the specific opening notice only cites mobility. Those with questions about their eligibility should consult directly with the administration before submitting their application.
The program operates under Project-Based Section 8, which means that the subsidy is tied to the apartment, not the tenant. There is no minimum income requirement.
The maximum allowed annual income is 47,700 dollars for one person and 54,500 dollars for two people, equivalent to 50% of the median income for the Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall metropolitan area according to the limits set by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), effective since May 2026. Rent in HUD-subsidized communities is typically calculated as 30% of the resident's adjusted income, although the exact amount should be confirmed with the administration.
Pre-registration must be done exclusively online through the Catholic Housing Management website (catholichousing.com), following the path: Stella Maris > Application Details > Preliminary Application. There will be no forms available in the building on the opening day. At the time of verification, the form was not yet active on the web page; it will be available starting November 4th.
The position on the list is determined by the date and time of submission of the pre-registration. The list will close when the expected numbers are reached or when the announcement period ends, whichever comes first. CHM notifies the status of each application —approved or denied— within 14 to 30 days after receiving it. An approved pre-registration does not guarantee housing immediately; it is the first step to verify eligibility before entering the formal list.
Those who need reasonable accommodations to complete the process can call 305-865-6841 (TTY: 800-955-8771) or write to housing@chsfla.com.
Stella Maris House, located at 8638 Harding Avenue, offers 137 studio and one-bedroom apartments, complimentary transportation service from the City of Miami, a computer room, and a gym, just a few blocks from the ocean.
The opportunity becomes particularly significant in a context of high demand: rental prices in Miami are rising again this month, while subsidized housing for low-income seniors remains scarce in South Florida.
In parallel, Miami-Dade reviewed its Section 8 rules in October, considering a point-based preference system that would grant 25 points to households with individuals aged 62 or older, which could benefit those who enter waiting lists like that of Stella Maris in the coming months.
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