KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The city of Kissimmee unveiled a new affordable housing duplex on King Street, as part of a new program called HOME Investment Partnership Program.
The city used a Community Development Block Grant to buy the land and construct the $300,000 duplex. It's the first built under this partnership.
The unit will house two families. Jasmine Sierra's family is one of them.
Sierra is a mother with five children. Her youngest recently underwent a liver transplant.
Both units are meant for larger families. Each contains four bedrooms and two bathrooms.
Sierra said she has struggled for years, having to live in a two-bedroom apartment with her children, but was constantly denied assistance like Section 8 or other programs, despite having a disabled child. The apartment she stayed in cost $950 per month. This one will cost $620.
Coordinator Frances de Jesus said both families exemplify the lack of affordable housing and decent paying jobs in the area.
“We are more of a service community, we have a lot of hotels, a lot of Walmart employees, they need affordable housing,” de Jesus said.
The homes have strict income requirements and other restrictions that must be met in order to be approved. City officials said they expect to build more in the coming months.