AFFORDABLE HOUSING

To qualify, you must live in the city limits of Orlando, you must have been impacted by COVID-19 financially. You also must be behind on rent or facing eviction because of late rent payments.

Zillow released its 10 hottest housing markets of 2022 and Orlando is ranked No. 9 out of the 50 largest U.S. metro areas.

Pinnacle Communities plans a 300-unit complex at the former night club and resort site.

Housing advocates say evictions are increasing around the country, several months after a federal moratorium was allowed to end.

When we think about the world and the problems people encounter every day, a few of the biggest hurdles would be poverty and hunger, climate change and inequality, to name a few.

As more companies are investing in converting old hotels along 192 in Osceola County's tourism district for affordable, workforce housing, the county commission is setting new standards for living conditions Monday night.

Episode 2 of “Solutionaries” tackles the lack of affordable housing across America and highlights the people and organizations who are working to solve the crisis.

Affordable housing is a growing issue in Central Florida.

As part of an initiative to create more affordable housing and an increased inventory of homes, President Joe Biden recently announced his administration wants to make single-family homes less available to investors.

Between application fees, first month’s rent, last month’s rent and a security deposit, the cost of moving to a new apartment in the Orlando area can quickly add up.

The affordable housing crisis is worsening by the day, with the housing supply at an all-time low and rents reaching sky high numbers, but there are people, projects and organizations out there dedicated to combating the crisis.

No matter where you live in the U.S., it's likely your community struggles with the issue of affordable housing. The Solutionaries team spent the summer looking at some of the systemic ways in which the housing crisis might be stemmed. One fix we looked at both in Orlando and Detroit is a system known as a "community land trust."

There’s not a one-size-fits-all solution to the affordable housing crisis Central Florida is facing but there are some groups and individuals working to make housing more attainable.

When you hear the term “affordable housing,” what do you think of?

The average rent in the market is up to $1,537 per month, according to Brian Alford, Director of Market Analytics in Florida.

Ivory Innovations and its Director, Abby Ivory, are pushing businesses and students to solve the affordable housing crisis.

It’s been a strange time, living through a global pandemic. What first might have come as a surprise, is the housing boom that followed -- and the fact that things have stayed red hot.

Just in the past few weeks, the Biden administration announced it would take steps to address a severe housing shortage in the U.S.

Backers of a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at ensuring money for affordable housing continue adding petition signatures as they try to get on the November 2022 ballot.

The Deltona, Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach real estate market was No. 9 in the nation for people moving to during this pandemic.

There’s a new group in town ready to fight for more housing in Central Florida -- Orlando YIMBY: Yes in My Backyard.

Within just two days, Avalon Park couple Jenny Berger and Richard Ortega sold their home, not knowing how far buyers would go to seal the deal.

The Neighborhood Center of West Volusia has a mission: to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless and prevent homelessness.

News 6 is gathering viewer feedback on Central Florida's affordable housing situation to be used in an upcoming episode of Solutionaries.

Universal Parks and Resorts along with leaders in Orange County have now selected a developer to build and design a new 20-acre affordable housing community.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A new affordable housing neighborhood for seniors is coming to Pine Hills. Hawthorne Park Apartments is a $27 million construction project that will help low-income seniors who need an affordable home in Orange County. AdOfficials explained more than 100,000 people in Orange County spend a third of their income on housing payments, most of them seniors. More affordable housing coming to Pine Hills. Orange County Mayor Demings says the 27 million dollar project will help low-income seniors.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Nearly 100 new units at the Preserve at Emerald Villas in Pine Hills will now be the home to dozens of seniors in Orange County. The $19 million project was designed to help seniors who earn from 40% to 60% of the area median income. “This is an opportunity for us to have a public, private partnership to address the deficit of affordable housing here in our community,” Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said. The property was bought back in 2011 and was in deep foreclosure then became the second phase of development at Emerald Villas affordable housing. Pozzo said less than 20 units are still available for seniors at the Preserve at Emerald Villas.

Universal Parks & Resorts is looking for a developer who can bring their vision of affordable housing to fruition. The affordable housing community will sit on a 20-acre site that the company has pledged for exclusive use in an effort to help one of the region’s most challenging problems: the lack of affordable housing. Officials said Universal will donate the land to a nonprofit entity and work with the developer to ensure the property is used for affordable housing in perpetuity. Universal said it will manage the developer selection process and will also work to create the development agreement with Orange County. And the benefits to our community will be real.”For more information on the new initiative, click or tap here.

Ron DeSantis issued the extension on the executive order hours before the current order was set to expire. PREVIOUS STORY:The temporary ban on evictions and foreclosures in Florida put in place by Gov. DeSantis issued an executive order in April placing a moratorium, or hold, on evictions due to nonpayment of monthly rent or mortgages. Last week, DeSantis announced $240 million in funding for rental assistance for affordable housing tenants, along with rent and mortgage assistance. Locally, several Central Florida counties are offering rent assistance or financial help through federal CARES Act grants and pandemic assistance.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Heart of Florida United Way CEO Jeff Hayword said the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have economic consequences for Central Floridians. On Wednesday, he held a meeting with local leaders to discuss what he calls a housing crisis in the community. From March 17, 2019, to June 17, 2019, there were over 2,300 residential eviction cases filed in Orange County. In the same period of 2020, there have been less than 300 residential eviction cases filed. Tiffany Moore Russell, with the Orange County Clerk of Courts, said July though October is typically when they see a high peak in evictions.

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – This month, the Osceola’s Board of County commissioners approved investing $8.9 million to buy an 82-acre property right that is walking distance to the Poinciana SunRail station. “A lot of times people say, ‘We need affordable housing, you need to make them put in that affordable housing,’” Grieb said about development on land the county doesn’t own. According to a study by the Orlando Economic Partnership, Osceola County is the fastest-growing county in our region. Osceola County also created a fund that designated $1 million to pay impact mobility fees for eligible developers building affordable housing. “That’s a challenge because we don’t control the growth and put up a sign that says ‘Osceola County is full’.

Osceola County investing in affordable housingPublished: January 22, 2020, 6:42 pmLeaders in Osceola County say they want to make sure affordable housing is available to residents as the region continues to grow.

ORLANDO, Fla. – An Orlando apartment complex plagued by crime could be getting a multi-million dollar makeover. The Windsor Cove Apartments on Mercy Drive may soon undergo a $19.4 million renovation. The existing 256 affordable apartments will be supported by tax credits, HUD and several other local and federal partners. Jerry McGruder lives nearby at the Village on Mercy, a new affordable housing complex on Mercy Drive. He’s happy to see more affordable housing options and hopes he’ll see new additions in the future.

The city of Oviedo is the most expensive place to rent a home in Central Florida, according to rental website RentCafe.com’s Florida October Rent Report. “We have more parkland per capita than any other town in Central Florida and it’s Seminole County,” Sladek said. So you've got newer construction, you've got luxurious apartment complexes luxurious homes for rent and townhouses for rent. I think a lot of people would prefer that than a tiny little place in downtown Orlando." Titusville has the cheapest rent in Central Florida, averaging $876 per month, according to the Yardi Matrix data.