ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A new affordable housing option is now available in Orange County. Emerald Villas has added a 90-unit complex to its property in Pine Hills, near Evans High School.
This is the third affordable housing community supported by the county’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund. This year alone, 438 affordable housing units have been funded by Orange County.
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“This is for families, this is for senior citizens,” Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said. “There are persons who are disabled who have housing units here, and families who sometimes struggle will have a place to live.
Demings said that what was once a crime-ridden property is now a thriving affordable housing community. Emerald Villas has added 90 affordable units to its property in Pine Hills.
“There is such a housing crisis right now,” Tony DelPozzo, the Senior VP of Finance for the Related Urban Development Group, said. “There is such a need for low-income and affordable housing.”
DelPozzo said that to fix the crisis, we have to continue funding the construction of more affordable units.
Orange County said it is doing exactly that by funding $2.5 million through the county’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund. $4.5 million came through the Federal American Rescue Plan Act.
The property features two- and three-bedroom apartments for households earning roughly $40,000-60,000 per year.
The typical rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Orange County is about $2,000 per month. At Emerald Villas, rent starts at just over $1,300 and includes modern finishes, a work lounge, and an on-site fitness center.
“Without having a safe and secure place to rest your head, that’s clean and new, you don’t have a sense of worth that this place will give them,” DelPozzo said. “It’s incredibly fulfilling for their self-esteem. It’s a life changer, it really is.”
For availability and leasing information, call (407) 326-6061.
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