Orange County Helps Fill Gaps in Affordable Housing as Residents Await More Options

Across the nation, the demand for stable, affordable housing has far outpaced supply. In Orange County, the need is visible in communities like Brixton Landing and Wellington Park in Apopka. Both are full — with waiting lists that grow longer each day.

“The waiting list for those two affordable communities in Apopka is extensive,” said Ryan von Weller, chief operating officer of Wendover Housing. “With rent rates constantly going up, there are massive holes in affordable housing everywhere.”

Wendover Housing is working to fill those gaps with 1,192 affordable units now under construction in Orange County. Projects include Catchlight Crossings, located near Universal Orlando, and Southwick Commons in Apopka.

According to von Weller, these projects would not be possible without financial support from Orange County’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund. The County invested $7 million in Catchlight Crossings, along with $2.8 million in impact fee waivers. Southwick Commons received $2 million in Trust Fund support, plus another $2.3 million in impact fee waivers and federal American Rescue Plan Act funding.

“Orange County’s support was the glue that held these projects together,” said von Weller. “Without it, we couldn’t even start development. We have to get financing from multiple sources to make these deals work, to be able to charge lower rents.”

Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings launched the Housing for All Initiative in 2019 to promote and incentivize the development of affordable housing. A key outcome was the creation of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, designed to create and preserve affordable rental and ownership housing for very-low-, low- and moderate-income households.

The trust fund provides a dedicated source of funding and leverages public-private partnerships to maximize impact.

The Board of County Commissioners committed $160 million to the fund for its first decade. In November 2024, local voters approved a charter amendment to make the Trust Fund permanent.

To date, the County has committed $58 million, helping support nearly 2,400 new affordable units. That funding also enabled Barnett Villas, a 156-unit community in Pine Hills, to overcome funding hurdles and move forward.

“Barnett Villas wouldn’t be possible without the financial assistance from Orange County,” said Scott Zimmerman, co-founder of Banyan Development Group. “Working with Orange County and all of its staff to make this community happen has been great and we truly appreciate everyone at Orange County who have worked hard to make this community financially feasible and allow us to get it built.”

Von Weller said he hopes more communities across Florida and the nation adopt Orange County’s model.

“I’ve got to give credit to Orange County for what they’re doing,” he said. “They were one of the first in the state to do this. Orange County has been really forward-thinking about how to resolve this affordable housing issue. What they’re doing is unique and it’s refreshing to see.”

The first phase of Catchlight Crossings and Southwick Commons are expected to open in 2026, providing housing for residents earning less than 80 percent of the Area Median Income.

To learn more about how Orange County is tackling the housing affordability crisis, visit Housing For All.

This is the first in a series of stories about how Orange County’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund is impacting local lives.