Housing for All

Addressing the affordable housing crisis in Orange County means more than building new apartment communities from the ground up. It also means reimagining existing spaces to meet urgent community needs.

Through its Affordable Housing Trust Fund, Orange County is partnering with Pathlight Home, a local nonprofit, to create new housing for chronically homeless disabled veterans.

Pathlight previously converted a former Hilton Inn near John Young Parkway into single-room occupancy units, offering permanent supportive housing. Now, with County support, the nonprofit is preparing to transform the hotel’s penthouse suite into five ADA-accessible units for disabled veterans earning between 30 and 50 percent of the Area Median Income. An additional unit will be built on the bottom floor.

“Having the support of Orange County throughout this process has been tremendous,” said Zeus Gonzalez, asset manager with Pathlight Home. “There’s definitely demand for housing, and Orange County’s support makes all the difference. I appreciate the County’s patience, leniency and guidance.”

Read the full story here: Orange County’s Housing Trust Fund to Provide Housing for Chronically Homeless Disabled Veterans

Across the nation, the demand for stable, affordable housing has far outpaced supply. In Orange County, the need is visible in communities like Brixton Landing and Wellington Park in Apopka. Both are full — with waiting lists that grow longer each day.

“The waiting list for those two affordable communities in Apopka is extensive,” said Ryan von Weller, chief operating officer of Wendover Housing. “With rent rates constantly going up, there are massive holes in affordable housing everywhere.”

Wendover Housing is working to fill those gaps with 1,192 affordable units now under construction in Orange County. Projects include Catchlight Crossings, located near Universal Orlando, and Southwick Commons in Apopka.

According to von Weller, these projects would not be possible without financial support from Orange County’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund. The County invested $7 million in Catchlight Crossings, along with $2.8 million in impact fee waivers. Southwick Commons received $2 million in Trust Fund support, plus another $2.3 million in impact fee waivers and federal American Rescue Plan Act funding.

Read more here: Orange County Helps Fill Gaps in Affordable Housing as Residents Await More Options

An ownership group is exploring the idea of converting an aging hotel on Orange Blossom Trail into apartments, but the proposal is still highly preliminary and open to change.

Rebecca Wilson of Lowndes recently filed plans on behalf of New Jersey-based InTown Orlando GSN, Inc. to convert the OYO Hotel Orlando Airport at 7100 S. Orange Blossom Trail into multifamily residential units. Under the plans, the hotel’s 212 rooms would be available as studio apartments set aside for residents making 80% of the area median income (AMI).

However, Ravi Sheth of InTown Orlando GSN, Inc. said that he and his partners are still working out the details, including how many units would be affordable and what the rental rates would be.

Credit: Growth Spotter

A groundbreaking ceremony held on April 14 was a chance to celebrate the progress Orange County is making in tackling the affordable housing crisis.

Mayor Jerry L. Demings and District 6 Commissioner Michael Scott joined community members to officially kick off construction on the Enclave at Canopy Park—a new 104-unit apartment community coming to the Holden Heights neighborhood. The project is being developed by Archway Partners, and according to the company’s President, it wouldn’t be happening without support from Orange County’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Check out the story here: Orange County’s Housing Trust Fund continues to make an impact