OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — In an effort to boost affordable housing, Osceola County is officially transferring land just north of the Poinciana SunRail Station to a developer.
The county said the plan has been in the works for several years now.
Residents told Channel 9 that they agree that affordable housing needs to be a big priority for the county but are worried about the impact this will have on traffic.
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The plan is to build on 14 acres of land just north of the Poinciana SunRail Station.
“We purchased that property because we wanted to masterplan how the area around that station looked and one of the most important components was these affordable housing units,” said Osceola Commissioner Viviana Janer.
The plan would bring 354 units to the area.
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“Since 2016, we have over a thousand units approved and we continue to look for opportunities,” Janer said.
Resident Diante Robertson said he sees this as positive and told Channel 9 that there is a huge need for affordable housing options in an area that’s seen tremendous population growth.
“From five years ago to now there was no development and now I see 15 or 20 new developments,” Roberston said.
Roberston also told Channel 9 that does worry about what more homes here will mean for a road that’s already a problem.
“It’s terrible. If you live outside of Kissimmee, you are good but once you are on Poinciana Boulevard and you are going into Poinciana, it’s bad,” Robertson said. “We sit in it for hours so we’re praying for a new road soon.”
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The county told Channel 9 that they are working on the problem and the county website shows they are working on 5.7 miles of Poinciana Boulevard and are currently evaluating alternative options for this road.
The county also said they are working on other affordable housing units. The commission has dedicated over $5 million for 60 units of affordable housing for the elderly in Buenaventura Lakes.
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