AIR DATE MAY 26, 2022

Title: Affordable Housing

As the central Florida population continues to expand, the demand in housing increases their cost. We’ll learn what is being done to ensure everyone has the chance to afford a home.

Guests and Locations

Orange County Housing & Community Development Division, Chief Planner – Janna Souvorova

Habitat for Humanity, President & CEO – Catherine Steck McManus

Multiple Affordable Housing Initiatives Available in Orange County, FL

With more people moving to central Florida each year, the demand for housing access increases real estate costs. When families have limited incomes, buying a house or finding a place to rent becomes harder.

About 900 people, on average, are moving to the state each day. That translates to approximately 330,000 per year, which means the state adds a city slightly larger than Orlando to the population annually.

The Housing for All Plan hopes to make more affordable homes available to residents of Orange County.

Janna Souvorova serves as the Chief Planner at the Orange County Housing and Community Development Division. She says that the initiative created a local affordable housing trust fund. “The county is contributing over $10 million, over a ten-year period, to preserve and produce affordable housing units,” she said recently told me on Emily Tells All.

That’s one option of several currently available for those trying to find a home.

Renters Have Access to Affordable Housing Initiatives

Souvorova notes that Orange County has a few programs currently available with pandemic-attached dollars. One of them is associated with the county’s Rental Assistance program.

“We provide up to $30,000 in rental assistance for households and families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Souvorova said. “We also have some rental assistance programs that are federally funded, though they’re very limited in scope.”

Another option is the traditional Section 8 program. Souvorova says that 1,200 vouchers are currently available in Orange County, along with about 700 that are portable for those who moved to the area from a different part of the country.

“Once the householder family qualifies for the program, they tend to stay on it for an extended period of time,” said Souvorova. Additional resources work to increase family income, continue educational opportunities, and sustain families, but the goal isn’t always to transition them out of the Section 8 benefits.

About 30,000 applications were received for the Section 8 vouchers the last time a waiting list was established. “It means that a lot of people are in need of assistance,” said Souvorova, “and most of them probably qualify.”

Section 8 resources are a first-come, first-serve resource for the waiting list.

Seniors Qualify for Affordable Housing Benefits

With Florida seen as a retirement destination because of its friendly climate and quality of living ratings, many seniors find themselves needing affordable housing assistance when moving here.

Several programs are available right now to help lower rent for low-income households, those with disabilities, or current homeowners who need help with rehabilitation assistance.

• The Homeowner Housing Rehabilitation Program
• The Tenant Based Rental Assistance Program
• Habitat for Humanity and Rebuilding Together Initiatives

Catherine Steck McManus is the President and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Orlando and Osceola. McManus told me during a recent interview that she encourages everyone to evaluate their current housing needs honestly.

“The one big program we have now is a mentorship program. To meet the criteria for a Habitat home, you need to have a 640 credit score minimum, your debt-to-income ratio needs to be good… and you must have a housing need,” said McManus.

“Housing Trust Fund dollars is something that the Board of County Commissioners approved [in 2021], and we are fortunate as a county to have a large sum of money from general revenue dollars… geared toward affordable housing,” said Souvorova.

“Community is key,” said McManus. “We are able, through the Habitat program, to create that community within community because our buyers come together to take their Habitat University classes together.”  

The current affordable housing initiatives in Orange County are looking for public input to discuss expansion areas, best practices, and other needs to help the community.

“We want to create both an informed and educated, knowledgeable citizen of the community,” said McManus. By getting involved in the local government, volunteering with affordable housing organizations, and advocating for change, everyone can work together to get everyone into a home they can afford.