COVER STORY
The roundtable recently completed one of its signature tasks,
a series of four focus groups that surveyed affordable housing
stakeholders about the challenges and opportunities they face in
this arena. Results will be provided to the ORRF Board of Trustees
and other interested entities such as governmental agencies for
incorporating into their action plans and policy-making recommendations.
For example, the foundation may utilize the findings
as part of its advocacy efforts to convince local governments
to lengthen their affordability designations indefinitely and to
persuade local employers to provide housing assistance as part of
their suite of employee benefits.
Focus Group Findings
CHALLENGES
• Belief that housing is not a community issue, but rather an
individual problem;
• Absence of affordable inventory;
• Low-wage environment;
• Decreasing help from state and federal governments; and
• Increasing costs of non-housing expenses.
OPPORTUNITIES
• Pursue regulatory reform for streamlining the permitting
The Madison family, City of Orlando officials, and
representatives of the Orlando Regional REALTOR® Association,
Orlando Regional REALTOR® Foundation, partners, and donors
took part in ceremonial turning of the dirt for the first Heroes’
Commons at Jefferson Park home in April 2015.
process;
• Develop incentives for multi-family projects located near
transit hubs;
• Encourage employers to provide housing assistance as an
employee benefit; and
• Advocate for lengthening the municipal affordability designation
from 30 years to indefinite.
LOOKING AHEAD
Stay tuned for updates about these three special projects from
the Orlando Regional REALTOR® Foundation that are currently in
the works:
• An Art In Architecture initiative will develop attractive,
affordable new homes on nine parcels of land owned by
ORRA, the foundation, and the Orange Blossom Trail Development
Board in the Holden Heights area of Orlando.
The home plans and site designs are currently in creation
mode by the project’s volunteer architects, which includes
both new faces and those with prior involvement in Art In
Architecture.
• The second is a novel collaboration with the Central
Florida Commission on Homelessness that is in the exploratory
phase. This intriguing project would involve the
foundation working with the commission to establish a
centralized system of identifying affordable housing units
for those individuals and/or families that are very near
homelessness.
• The creation of a scholarship endowment at Seminole
State College will honor Art In Architecture Founder Steve
Chitwood, who sadly passed away in 2017. The foundation’s
goal is to raise $25,000 to $100,000 to assist qualified
students as they seek an education in construction and
design.
Visit orlandorealtorsfoundation.org for more info, to volunteer,
or to donate.
s,
"I am proud to say that the Heroes’ Commons at Jefferson
Park development is a shining example of how government,
business, and community have come together.”
BUDDY DYER
City of Orlando Mayor
12 Orlando REALTOR® May / June 2018
/orlandorealtorsfoundation.org