ORLANDO, Fla. – Officials broke ground Thursday on a new affordable housing development in West Orlando, marking the latest effort to address the region’s growing housing affordability crisis.
The Ivey Flats project, located at 30 South Ivey Lane, will add 137 new affordable housing units to the area’s housing stock. The development represents a partnership between Orange County, the City of Orlando, and private developers.
“Affordable housing continues to be one of the most complex challenges that our community faces. And it’s not just our community, really, it’s a nationwide issue,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer at the groundbreaking ceremony.
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The project is partially funded through Orange County’s housing trust fund, established in 2019. Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings defended the use of local taxpayer dollars for the initiative, noting the absence of state support.
“The CFO criticized Orange County for its budget and the use of taxpayer dollars, but we could not have created the trust fund if we didn’t pull it from somewhere,” Demings said. “We didn’t get it from the state of Florida; we got zero to assist with those efforts.”
The City of Orlando will see $1.6 million in transportation, parks, and school impact fees from the developer.
The remainder of the project costs will be covered by private developers and other partners.
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To further address the housing crisis, Orlando officials have implemented several measures, including:
- Partnerships with developers
- Modernized zoning regulations
- Streamlined approval processes
- Developer incentives, including fee waivers
“We are going to continue growing this type of housing opportunity for seniors and low-income families,” said Demings.
The development represents one of several initiatives aimed at increasing affordable housing options across Central Florida, where many residents struggle to find affordable places to live.
You can learn about all of the projects on the county’s Housing for All initiative website.