Mayor Jerry Demings’ Housing for All Task Force held its first two meetings on April 12 and April 29, 2019 at the Orange County Administration Center located at 201 S. Rosalind Ave. in Orlando. All Task Force meetings are open to the public, and resident comments are welcome at the beginning of each meeting. The next meeting is scheduled for July 9 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the same location.
To view the full meetings, visit the Video Archive.
Meeting minutes: English | Spanish
Highlights from the April 29 Task Force meeting included:
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Eight public comment speakers, including displaced residents affected by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. They highlighted the challenges to find affordable housing with vouchers provided by FEMA.
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Orange County Legislative Affairs Director Kelley Teague provided an affordable housing legislative update, including information on the Sadowski Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
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The Sadowski fund was created by the Florida Legislature in 1992 as a dedicated revenue source for affordable housing. Currently, the legislature has allocated $200 million as part of the budget process, sweeping more than $100 million for general revenue. Approximately $77 million will be allocated to affordable housing projects in Florida’s 67 counties and $115 million will go to help residents in the Florida Panhandle with Hurricane Michael recovery efforts. The legislative session will be closing in less than a week, so specific numbers will be available soon.
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Heart of Florida United Way President and CEO Jeff Hayward provided the Task Force with an overview of the 2018 ALICE (Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed) Report. Learn more by visiting standwithalice.org.
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Who is “ALICE?” ALICE is a hardworking community member who sometimes works two or more jobs. ALICE earns above the Federal Poverty Level but lives with constant fear of financial ruin.
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In Central Florida, 350,000 households are struggling to make ends meet. In Orange County, 31 percent of households can be classified as ALICE.
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Orange County staff highlighted the three Task Force Sub-committees and their structure and strategies. Sub-committees include:
- Design & Infrastructure
- Accessibility & Opportunity
- Innovation & Sustainability
The three subcommittees held their first meeting at the conclusion of the second Task Force meeting on April 29 and will meet frequently over the next six months.
The Task Force will have a final action plan completed by the fall of 2019.