September 20, 2025
‘It’s a tremendous need. There’s a shortage of 7 million affordable houses across the country. You can’t build them fast enough.’
Hall of Fame basketball player Alonzo Mourning discussed his involvement in an affordable housing project in Florida while on The OGs podcast hosted by former Miami Heat teammates Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller.
According to AfroTech, Mourning who lived in Chesapeake, Va, grew up in foster care after being born to two teenage parents. A retired teacher, Fannie Threet, helped him gain some important life lessons as a child, which influenced Mourning’s thought process when he decided to give back to the community.
In May, The Miami Herald reported that Mourning and his nonprofit group, AM Affordable Housing, and Miami-based developer Housing Trust Group had opened a new $37.4 million, 120-unit affordable housing community for seniors.
The housing project started accepting applications from individuals who were at least 62 years old and met the threshold considered to be low income or below.
The development, Astoria on 9th, is a five-story building with one- and two-bedroom units ranging from 635 to 907 square feet. The units are being rented out for $322 to $1,316 per month. The local average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in that area is $1,693.
The complex features a clubroom, cyber cafe with a catering kitchen and bar, fitness center, and dog park.
“Not only is it obviously business, but also we’re helping our community as well,” Mourning said on the podcast. “It’s a tremendous need. There’s a shortage of 7 million affordable houses across the country. You can’t build them fast enough.”
Mourning played in the NBA for the Heat, Charlotte Hornets, and the New Jersey Nets during his All-Star career, which spanned from 1992 to 2008. He previously starred Georgetown University under legendary head coach John Thompson, who also instilled the knowledge and guidance to future NBA players like Patrick Ewing, Dikembe Mutombo, and Allen Iverson.
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