are provided to income-qualified military veterans chosen by a
selection committee, and they are also offered supportive social
services to ease the transition to civilian life.
The project is part of the foundation’s “Art In Architecture” program,
which collaborates with local architects, builders, lenders,
housing organizations, and municipalities to create affordable
housing opportunities. The City of Orlando donated the land, and
the foundation has raised more than $900,000 in support of the
initiative.
Heroes’ Commons at Jefferson Park has even earned multiple
honors along its path to completion, including an Orange County
Sustainable Development Award and a Finalist designation in the
residential category of the Downtown Orlando Partnership Golden
Brick Awards.
TRANSFORMATION VILLAGE
A project that is also nearing completion falls under the
foundation’s dedication to improving the quality of life for Central
Florida’s residents. The small, underserved community of Bithlo
in east Orange County now enjoys a combined community center
and library courtesy of the foundation and project partners such as
the Metro Orlando Builders Association.
To create the community center, the foundation oversaw the
repair and retrofit of an existing home – purchased for the project
by United Global Outreach – so that it met current building codes
FOUNDATION
and ADA requirements. The home will serve as a safe place for
local children to gather after school for homework and educational
activities, in addition to housing a library room.
ORRF contributed nearly $8,000 toward the project and took
a lead role in organizing the fundraising efforts and securing construction
oversight from our MOBA partner. The new community
center is just part of the ongoing Transformation Village program,
which seeks to address Bithlo’s environmental as well as community
concerns.
NONPROFIT HOUSING ROUNDTABLE OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
The foundation is spearheading the discussion of Central
Florida’s affordable housing crisis by serving as the administrative
entity for the Nonprofit Housing Roundtable of Central Florida.
Bolstered by a $5,000 NAR Housing Opportunity grant, ORRF
has revitalized the roundtable and its mission to provide a forum
for the exchange of ideas regarding affordable housing. The initiative
seeks to bring together the many diverse, yet related, groups
and experts who work independently on the issue. The roundtable
provides a conduit for raising funds, collecting data, and developing
plans and solutions for increasing the supply of affordable and
workforce housing.
are
COVER STORY
Combining Two Local Nonprofits to Better Address the Issue of Affordable Housing
Florida Real Estate Foundation
Nonprofit Housing Roundtable of Central Florida
Background
Over the past 20 years Central Florida has witnessed a dramatic growth in lower wage workers
needed to support the tourist industry. As this growth occurred, the availability of affordable
housing has not kept pace. The issue today is both the cost of housing and the absence of
housing for these workers.
Government, nonprofits and for profit organizations have all attempted to address the issue of
affordable housing over the years, however policy, regulations, and implementation have often
occurred in a vacuum.
In an attempt to address some the issues surrounding affordable housing the Nonprofit Housing
Roundtable of Central Florida was created in 1994. This advocacy organization sought to
provide a forum for interested parties to come together and exchange ideas. Although this
organization is still active today, it has lost its influence to curb/shape policies and pull together
experts in the field of affordable housing.
In 2005, the Orlando Regional Realtor Association saw a need for a more active advocate for
affordable housing in Central Florida and created the Florida Real Estate Foundation. The
Foundation’s goal was to address the need for affordable and workforce housing, enhance the
quality of life within Central Florida communities, and improve the professional and education
standards of the real estate profession.
This paper addresses the concept of combining the two nonprofit entities in an effort to address
the issues surrounding affordable housing in a more “holistic” manner.
Concept
The goal is to bring together both nonprofits, but allow for the separation of roles and
responsibilities (see the attached flow chart). Each organization would maintain its own separate
501c3 rulings, but the articles and bylaws would be changed to reflect these new roles and
responsibilities. The board of directors for each organization would be the same and each
organization would share staffing, which initially would consist of a full-time administrator and
part-time assistant.
The Florida Real Estate Foundation would be defined as a “project or program” based
organization. This means that the Foundation would be involved in specific projects and/or
programs as a developer, coordinator, or supporter. For example, the Heroes’ Commons at
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