As families wait for homes, funding shrinks

Affordable housing is clean, safe and attainable housing. It should be available to working families and for those in less-fortunate circumstances. However, communities throughout our state are facing an affordable-housing crisis. Here in Orlando our growing population struggles to find affordablehome options due to dangerously low inventory.

The Orlando Housing Authority’s waiting list is currently 42,000 families long; despite this, OHA currently faces $2.6 million in federal cutbacks, or nearly 7 percent of its annual funding.

The OHA owns and operates more than 1,450 public-housing units, located in 14 housing complexes. It also administers about 2,400 Section 8 housing vouchers, as well as a 100-unit Section 8 rehabilitation program for homeless individuals, including many military veterans.

Two noteworthy affordable-housing initiatives are underway: a homeownership program in Carver Park and redevelopment of the historic Goldsboro neighborhood. Longer term, these projects have the potential to improve affordable-housing stock in Orlando.

As one of the largest housing advocates in Central Florida, we support additional “fair share” state and federal funding for housing initiatives, including low-incomehousing tax credits, and believe that the growing middle class is the key to Orlando’s future.

OHA stands ready to work with public- and private-sector supporters to enhance both economic stability and quality of life for all individuals it serves.