Polk County On Target To Increase Affordable Housing Index

WINTER HAVEN, FL — Helping to fulfill a growing need for affordable housing in Polk County, the county commission approved a tri-party agreement to use American Rescue Plan loan funding to build the Florence Place Apartments in Winter Haven at Tuesday's meeting.

The agreement is between Polk County, affordable housing developer Blue Sky Communities and Neighborhood Lending Partners, which underwrites loans on behalf of county governments that do not have the internal capacity or expertise to underwrite loans internally.

Polk County is contributing $2 million for 11 affordable housing units at the Blue Sky Communities apartment complex in Winter Haven near the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and First Street.

The Florence Place development will cost about $27 million and will consist of 88 units for low-income families. The county-funded units will help Polk County residents who are at 60 percent or less of the area’s median income. Additionally, resident programs such as adult literacy training, employment assistance and financial management will be offered.

“Polk County is the fastest growing county in Florida,” said Jennifer Cooper, Polk County Housing & Neighborhood Development manager. “Affordable housing like this is sometimes the difference between homelessness and a family having a place to call home.”

Construction is slated to begin this month and the anticipated move-in date is February 2024.

In recent months, federal America Rescue Plan funding has been used for the construction of two other affordable housing projects.

The Winter Haven Housing Authority in partnership with the Senior Housing Assistance Group is investing $21 million for an additional 82 units of affordable housing at Grove Manor. The county is attributing about $2 million for the project.

Blue Sky Communities is also building a $21 million, 88-unit affordable housing complex called Swan Landing on Griffin Road in Lakeland.

The projects are a joint effort between the county, municipalities, nonprofit groups and developers to create more affordable housing units in the county.

The county's HOME-ARP Allocation Plan published by federal Housing and Urban Development estimates that around 46,000 Polk County residents earn less than 50 percent of the area median income and are at risk of homelessness.

There are around 150 families with at least one child living in emergency shelters in Polk County and 234 adults with no child living in shelters, according to the report. Seventeen of the adults are veterans and 13 are victims of domestic violence. Moreover, around 3,583 students are homeless.

The report concluded there's a need for 24,135 affordable housing units.

Among the organizations providing input for the study were the Homeless Coalition of Polk County, Lakeland Housing Authority, Winter Haven Housing Authority, developers Blue Sky Communities, Arbor Valley Communities, NuRock Acquisitions Florida, and nonprofits Lake Wales Care Center, Heart for Winter Haven, Salvation Army West Polk, Talbot House Ministries, Catholic Charities of Central Florida, Florida Baptist Children's Homes, Tri-County Human Services, Heartland for Children, Women's Resource Center, Wilson House, ACTS, Youth & Family Alternatives, Woman and Youth Center, Salvation Army of Winter Haven, Polk County HEARTH Program, Neighbor to Family, Guided Life Care Planning Services, Central Florida Behavioral Health Network, Peace River Domestic Violence Services, Lighthouse Ministries, Sunrise Community Inc., Polk County Veterans Services and Florida Rural Legal Services.