KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The city of Kissimmee is getting results when it comes to finding a solution to the affordable housing crisis impacting Central Florida.
What used to be an old motel will soon be home to 83 affordable housing units and 40 emergency housing units.
At least 30 two-bedroom, one-bathroom units have been completed at the housing complex called “Haven on Vine.”
The housing complex located off of Vine Street used to be a motel but is now home to several people like Adriana Aguilera.
“I’m a single mom, raised five kids,” Aguilera said. “My son passed a year ago. I had my mind lost. I didn’t know where to go, where to run, but I came to Haven on Vine and they were here with open arms.”
Aguilera said she doesn’t know where she would be had it not been for Haven on Vine.
“I’ll be honest with you, I don’t know,” Aguilera said. “Maybe in a hotel renting it day by day.”
Now the project can continue to move forward after the city was allocated $1.8 million through the Community Project Funding process funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
“That makes this process a lot easier as it relates to being able to convert the studios into full-fledged studio apartments,” said Kissimmee Deputy City Manager, Desiree Matthews.
The $1.8 million will not only be used to renovate the studio apartments it’ll also go toward the complex’s emergency housing units.
“There’s not any emergency shelter in Osceola County at all,” Matthews said. “There is a shelter for domestic violence and there are a number of others as it relates to therapeutic beds for individuals who have substance abuse. But general chronic homelessness, there’s not a real place for them to go at this particular point in time.”
Matthews said as soon as they are awarded the funding, they’ll begin work on the studio apartments and emergency housing units. For more information on Haven on Vine and to see if you qualify to live there, you can call 407.518.2553 or email myhaven.info@kissimmee.gov.
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