ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Local leaders this morning held a groundbreaking ceremony at the construction site of Madison Landing, a new affordable housing community for senior citizens in Holden Heights.
What You Need To Know
- Florida's State Housing Initiatives Program (SHIP) provided $747,000 for the project
- Madison Landing will create 110 units of affordable housing
- Related: Vetoed SHIP Funding Could Destabilize Housing For Working Floridians
Orange County helped fund the project using $747,000 from Florida’s State Housing Initiatives Program (SHIP), which helps local governments to implement affordable housing programs throughout the state of Florida.
The Florida Housing Finance Corporation approved the use of SHIP funding for Madison Landing back in March.
In June, Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed SHIP entirely from this year’s budget. There’s still a chance for legislators to re-allocate the funding during an expected special session that will be held to discuss the state budget deficit after November’s election.
The Madison Landing project is a public-private partnership between several entities, including development partners New South Residential, LLC and its parent company American Residential Communities. Together the companies contributed $1.3 million for 5.4 acres of land.
Stacy Banach of New South Residential said the project helps fill a crucial need for affordable housing in the area.
“Everyone knows the problem that we have right now, with the expensive rents, people don't have a place to go,” Banach said. “Our average rents range between $350 to $850. This is truly affordable housing.”
To be eligible to live in the 110-unit Madison Landing community, residents must be 55 years or older and be earning 60 percent or less of the area median income.
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said he looks forward to coming back to the site in several months for a ribbing-cutting ceremony.
“It’s not just about moving the dirt around, but creating the housing for average people to move in and to live within this community every day,” Demings said.
Construction is expected to wrap up at Madison Landing by September 2021.
Molly Duerig is a Report for America corps member who is covering Affordable Housing for Spectrum News 13. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.