Osceola County commissioners have approved the purchase of a tract of land for $525,000 on which it will build affordable housing. The land is located north of U.S. Highway 192 near Medieval Times. The plans call for two phases of low-cost multifamily housing units that will contain 100 units each. The county has also set aside $450,000 for rapid re-housing in this year’s budget. The funds will be used for rental assistance, including rental and utility deposits. Studies show that in Osceola, Orange and Seminole counties, one in every 17 children spent at least part of last year homeless. The county has selected Parramore Construction Co. Inc. of Kissimmee to oversee the project.
“Our goal is to get homeless families, including those living in motels, doubled-up with family or friends, living in cars, tents and so forth into stable housing quickly,” said Osceola Commission Chairman Brandon Arrington. “These are people who need just a little help, and the result of this assistance will be that we can get them into much better living situations. But to make these programs work, we have to increase the inventory of affordable housing.”
