Two residential projects that together could add more than 585 new homes, including affordable units, in south Miami-Dade County are closer to fruition.

Atlantic I Pacific Communities, the affordable housing subsidiary of developer, manager and investor Atlantic I Pacific Cos., wants to build at least 500 apartments, but it's starting with 140 units targeted for low-income renters.

Quail Roost Transit Village strives to address two issues: the lack of affordable housing and worsening traffic.

Aside from the affordability aspect, the development would include a 261-space, residents-only garage near a bus stop for the bus-only express lanes linking Florida City and Dadeland.

Quail Roost Transit Village would rise on 8.4 acres east of the South Miami-Dade Busway between Southwest 184th and 186th streets in West Perrine, according to the county.

To the west, Quail Roost Realty Management LLC wants to build 85 single-family homes, the Quail Roost Development, on a vacant 33-acre site it owns from Black Creek Canal west to Southwest 137th Avenue and from Southwest 192nd Street north to where the canal and 137th Avenue meet.

The County Commission on Wednesday signed off on leasing its land to AIP Communities and approved a district that can levy fees on the Quail Roost Development property owners to pay for infrastructure and district operations. The commission voted 9-0 for the land lease and 10-0 for the district with some commissioners absent. The 75-year lease is at $1 annually plus a one-time $700,000 payment.

Stormwater, wastewater collection, road improvements and water distribution in the Quail Roost Development District would cost $5.6 million, according to the county. The Denver-based developer needs no more votes from the commission to proceed but still needs staff review.

Most of the 500 units would be affordable with about 10 percent at market rate, according to the developer. The project would include 10,000 square feet of retail and office space.

The projects come at a time of a growing affordability crisis in the county.

About 61 percent of renters are spending more than 30 percent of their income on rent and utilities, according to data from Florida International University's Metropolitan Center.

The 30 percent rule has been a long-standing threshold for household finances. But about 34 percent of Miami-Dade tenants are spending more than half of their income on rent and utilities, according to the research institute's data.

Quail Roost Transit Village rents would range from $424 to $849 for one bedroom and from $510 to $1,020 for two bedrooms, according to Lindsay Lecour, vice president of development for AIP Communities.

The project would give residents the option to save money by not using a car.

The project “will increase ridership on the transit system and decrease household costs as some families will now be able replace their personal car for a more cost-effective method of transportation,” Lecour said in an email, adding the project would be an economic catalyst for West Perrine.

AIP Communities has developed other affordable housing close to public transit stops. They include the Audrey Edmonson Transit Village, a 76-unit building at 6101 NW Seventh Ave. with its own transit stop, and Northside Transit Village at 3101 NW 77th St. near a Metrorail station.

Affordable housing development in Miami-Dade was the subject of extensive investigations over the misuse of public funds and construction that never materialized.

AIP in 2013 bought affordable housing developer Carlisle Development Group while Carlisle was being investigated for taking federal money meant for affordable housing by inflating project costs and splitting funds with project partners, according to the Miami Herald. Former CEO Matthew Greer was sentenced to prison.

With the Carlisle purchase, AIP took over the Seventh Avenue Transit Village project, later renamed for County Commissioner Audrey Edmonson.

Another investigation opened last year into the possible misuse of county funds by affordable housing developers, according to the Herald.

Quail Roost Transit Village developer Atlantic I Pacific plans to apply for low-income housing tax credits to the Florida Housing Finance Corp.