WINTER PARK, Fla. – In a city known for high home prices, Winter Park leaders are taking a step aimed at helping some school employees afford to live where they work.
City commissioners on Wednesday held a first reading of an ordinance that would change the city’s land development code to allow single-family homes on Orange County Public Schools property.
According to the city, the change is tied to a partnership between OCPS and Habitat for Humanity to build homes specifically for school employees.
The property is located at 901 W. Webster Ave., a former Orange Technical College site now owned by the school district.
Right now, the property is zoned for public and quasi-public uses, which does not allow traditional residential development. The proposed change would add single-family homes as a permitted use, clearing the way for the project to move forward.
City officials said their role in the project is limited, but the ordinance would help move the effort closer to permitting and approvals.
Documents included in the agenda packet show the plan would involve a small portion of the property, with a handful of single-family homes proposed.
The project comes as housing costs across Central Florida continue to rise, making it more difficult for teachers and school staff to live in communities like Winter Park.
News 6 reached out to Orange County Public Schools for more details on how the program would work and who would qualify. The district said it is working to respond.